The Los Angeles Chargers‘ season has gone far differently from how they’d wanted. Heading into Week 15, the Chargers are 5-8 and third in the AFC West.
The Bolts’ season got even worse in Week 14, though, when starting QB Justin Herbert went down with an injury. Will he play in Week 15?
Justin Herbert’s Injury Update
2023 has been an up-and-down season for Los Angeles, but Herbert has still persevered. In 13 games, he passed for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 52 attempts.
In just the first half of the team’s loss to the Denver Broncos, Herbert was hit by DL Zach Allen and hurt his hand. Herbert left the game, getting replaced by backup QB Easton Stick for the rest of the game.
MORE: Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart
He was given a splint for the remainder of the game and underwent further testing Sunday night. The Chargers later announced Herbert will miss the rest of the 2023 season with a fractured right finger after undergoing surgery to repair the injury and was placed on injured reserve.
With Herbert’s season over, the Chargers’ playoff hopes drop significantly. According to The Athletic, the Chargers already had a 0.2% chance to make the playoffs at 5-8 without the injury. Now, the only positive is a likely high draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Before his fractured finger, Herbert had only suffered one injury in his NFL career that caused him to miss games. In November 2022, Herbert had an inguinal hip strain, which cost him four games.
In the offseason, Herbert signed a new deal with Los Angeles, worth a maximum of $262.5 million over five years. He was previously on a fifth-year option extension of his rookie contract, which was worth $29.5 million for the option and $26.5 million for the contract.
Herbert was previously taken sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft out of the University of Oregon. With the Ducks, he passed for 10,541 yards, 95 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. Since being drafted by the Chargers, he’s passed for 17,223 yards, 114 touchdowns, and 42 interceptions.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!