Ready for Week 1 of the NFL?

The Los Angeles Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert are preparing for a season-opening game against the rival Las Vegas Raiders. A key to the Chargers' victory depends on Herbert's health, so the question is whether he has recovered from the finger injury that ended his 2023 season and the right foot injury he suffered in training camp.

Herbert suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand in a 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. He tried to keep playing through the pain, as he has done with previous injuries. Keep in mind that Herbert suffered a broken rib cartilage in 2022, but did not miss a game due to that injury. In that case, however, Herbert required surgery, which ended his season. Although he missed the last four games, Herbert's stats show how important he is to the Chargers offense. He threw for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

During the first few days of training camp, Herbert did not appear to have any lingering issues with his finger. Unfortunately, on July 31, the team announced that he had been diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot and would need to wear a protective boot for two weeks. The timeline for Herbert's return to practice was always based on the longer-term outlook. The team's plan was to play it safe and not rush Herbert into a return, rather than pushing him sooner rather than later. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler summed up the situation this way:

“Even though they want him in August, they need him in September,” Fowler said. The team's “hope and expectation” is that he will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8.

The good news is that Herbert is not only back in practice, but is performing as well as if he never missed a day. To further confirm Herbert's health, Hall of Fame quarterback and former Oregon Ducks star Dan Fouts said he spoke with Herbert before the team's final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.

“He (Herbert) told me last night that his right foot is completely healed and no longer poses a problem.”

Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers' new head coach, was happy about the return of his star playmaker, but had trouble finding the right words.

“I'll let you guys find the right adjective,” Harbaugh said. “Any adjective I can think of doesn't do it justice. It was contagious to the whole team, too.” Harbaugh then described Herbert's first practice since his foot injury.

“It was a great feeling,” Harbaugh said. “It felt like music must be playing, I thought I heard music, maybe voices of angels. It was a great feeling. He looked great, with a capital G. No drop in power, pinpoint precision.”

The Chargers expanded their quarterback roster on Wednesday by signing Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick.

All signs point to Herbert being ready to take the field on September 8th when the Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium. Chargers fans should be excited for the matchup, as Herbert has a history of playing well against his division rivals. Herbert is 4-3 against the Raiders with 2,026 passing yards, a 62.6 completion percentage, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Finally, for anyone interested in fantasy football for Herbert's health and prospects for the 2024 season, there may be an opportunity to sign a quarterback who could be a surprise candidate. With health apparently no longer an issue, the focus will be on performance. Granted, Herbert is playing for another new head coach, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. But all indications are that Herbert has largely mastered this change and is ready for a big year.

To that point, former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning recently listed his top five signal-callers. In an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith at Fanatics Fest, Manning listed his top five quarterbacks in the NFL. The list also included Herbert, who Manning ranked No. 3 overall.

“This Justin Herbert is as talented as anyone, he can throw the ball miles,” said the Hall of Famer.

Based on last year's numbers, Herbert has fallen down the quarterback rankings and will likely be overlooked in many fantasy football drafts, but he could still be the surprise prospect to put up monster numbers next season.