The Los Angeles Chargers are planning on beginning quarterback Justin Herbert for Sunday’s massive AFC West sport towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, regardless of the actual fact he’s nonetheless coping with a high-ankle sprain.
Assuming Herbert begins, it’s a very short-sighted transfer that may have extra long-term danger than reward.
Herbert went into the Chargers’ Week 3 sport towards the Pittsburgh Steelers coping with the identical damage and tried to play via it regardless of being restricted in observe all week. He was unable to complete the sport after re-injuring the ankle on a third-quarter sack. There’s virtually no likelihood that his ankle is considerably higher after that and now the Chargers are going to place him again on the market towards one other high protection on an ankle that’s going to restrict his mobility and talent to play as much as his full potential.
Even worse, the Chargers are additionally coping with main accidents to each beginning offensive tackles — Rashawn Slater and rookie Joe Alt — which may restrict their means to guard him.
The Chargers virtually definitely see this as an enormous sport that they wish to win on condition that it’s a divisional sport and an enormous measuring-stick sport towards the back-to-back Tremendous Bowl champions. Herbert at lower than 100% nonetheless in all probability offers them a greater likelihood than backups Taylor Heinicke and Easton Stick.
That each one may be true.
Sooner or later, although, the Chargers have to understand this is just one sport in a 17-game season and that they’re going to want Herbert for the rest of the marketing campaign if they will have any form of an opportunity to make the playoffs. Placing him on the market when he’s injured, susceptible and enjoying behind what may very well be a makeshift offensive line is just placing him in danger for a extra important damage that might sideline him for extra time.
The Chargers have taken a run-heavy method to their offense this season and that may in all probability proceed on Sunday. Herbert will nonetheless must go in some unspecified time in the future and he may not be in the very best place to do this given his ankle.
The Chargers ought to be good. They need to be considering long run.
