Justin Herbert spent two weeks in a boot on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot on July 31.
Despite an optimistic outlook on his recovery timeline, the Chargers quarterback missed valuable time in training camp to mesh with new head coach Jim Harbaugh's offense.
Still, Herbert maintained a presence in meetings and around training during his absence on the field, supporting backup quarterbacks Easton Stick, Max Duggan, and Luis Perez throughout the preseason for Los Angeles.
Chargers fans can take a deep breath with positive news on Herbert coming out of the Chargers' practices this week. Here are the latest updates on his foot injury, including fantasy impact and more.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Justin Herbert injury update
The Chargers quarterback returned to practice Aug. 18 for the first time in nearly three weeks. Harbaugh couldn't emphasize enough how important Herbert's return was for the rest of the team.
"It felt great," the coach said. "It felt like music should be playing, I thought I heard music, voices of angels maybe. It felt great."
ESPN reported that Herbert didn't participate in full-team situations that day, but he was active in 7-on-7 drills. Harbaugh commended him on his first day back, saying: "He looked great with a capital G. No drop-off, pinpoint accuracy."
Things have only seemed to improve since, with The Athletic's Daniel Popper offering an optimistic update on Herbert's progress on two days later.
That might have been the best practice I’ve ever seen from Justin Herbert. Just lights out.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 21, 2024
Full details coming later in the practice report.
Herbert started Week 1 for the Chargers and played well in the team's 22-10 win over the Raiders. He took that momentum into the following Sunday, when Los Angeles squashed the Panthers 26-3 behind 130 yards on 14-of-20 passing and two touchdowns from the quarterback in the air.
However, Herbert told reporters on Monday that he "got rolled up" after a fumble, tweaking his lower right leg in the second quarter against Carolina despite finishing the game. Harbaugh also revealed the quarterback received X-rays on the injury, but the results were optimistic.
X-rays were negative on Justin Herbert’s lower right leg, Jim Harbaugh said.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) September 16, 2024
Will Justin Herbert be ready for Week 1?
After Herbert's return to practice Monday, Harbaugh said he expects his star quarterback to be ready to go for the Chargers' season opener on Sept. 8 against the Raiders.
This was the predicted outcome at the time of diagnosis, and it appears the 26-year-old quarterback is on the right track. Whether he gets reps in the team's final preseason game this weekend is still to be determined.
MORE: NFL Preseason injury tracker | RB depth charts
Justin Herbert's fantasy outlook 2024
According to FantasyPros, Herbert has a current ADP of 122 overall, or QB17. That's not entirely surprising given he missed the final four games of the Chargers 2023 regular season due to a fractured finger on his throwing hand, an injury that required surgery, and will be without Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett, and Austin Ekeler this season. The Chargers also figure to be less pass-happy this year with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman calling the shots on offense.
After his last full season in 2022, Herbert finished just outside the top-10 fantasy QB, averaging 17 fantasy points per game. Heading into 2024, Josh Palmer is his top target, with Quentin Johnston and recently injured DJ Chark Jr. as the two other first-string WRs on the current depth chart.
Nevertheless, reports out of Wednesday's practice about Herbert's regular-season return have been exceedingly optimistic. He also recently earned a spot on Peyton Manning's list of top five quarterbacks in the NFL. It wouldn't be outlandish to say Herbert could be a steal with no major setbacks before his anticipated Week 1 return.
MORE: Chargers' best options for No. 2 QB are not currently on the roster
Charger's QB depth chart
After releasing former TCU quarterback Duggan on Monday after he failed to come off the sidelines in the Chargers' last preseason game against the Rams. Remaining to support Herbert are Perez and Stick, who will battle it out this weekend against the Cowboys in Dallas for the second-string spot.
| Position | First | Second | Third |
| Quarterback | Justin Herbert | Easton Stick | Luis Perez |
