Stunning Justin Herbert Injury News Continues Chargers' Curse
By Joe Summers
Today is August 1, which means it's time for the annual 'Chargering' to begin.
QB Justin Herbert, widely expected to take a step forward under new head coach Jim Harbaugh despite losing WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot and will spent the next two weeks in a boot.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Los Angeles expects its star QB to be ready for the start of the season, though this type of injury could linger and curtail the Chargers' season before it even begins.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert Suffers Plantar Fascia Injury
The #Chargers announced that QB Justin Herbert was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 1, 2024
He’ll be in a boot for two weeks, then gradually work his way back. The team says it is with the expectation that he will be ready for the start of the season.
Seemingly every season, disaster strikes the Chargers at the worst possible moment. Herbert has a mostly new cast of receivers learning a new offense under a new coach. Having your quarterback miss multiple weeks of valuable training camp time is just about the worst thing that could've happened.
Los Angeles was never a true threat to dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC West anyway, but now Harbaugh's group might not even be the second-best team in the division. Herbert looks like a rising star, and there are numerous examples of athletes suffering from this same injury who felt the effects throughout the entire season.
Kansas City's division and playoff odds illustrate the organization's stranglehold over the AFC West. With Herbert sidelined, even those steep odds should prove to be a bargain.
The Chiefs have five straight wins over Herbert's Chargers and 17 wins in their last 20 meetings overall, though Herbert wasn't involved in some of those contests. Some in the national media were ready to crown Harbaugh's squad as a legitimate threat, though that 'rocket ship' is seemingly out of fuel before takeoff.
In true Chargers fashion, the organization doesn't even know what play the injury occurred on, at least publicly. No Chiefs fan should wish injury on a player or relish in misfortune, so I hope Herbert's injury doesn't linger and isn't serious. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City can beat anyone at full strength.
No additional advantages are needed, but it's still a bit ridiculous that the exact same thing keeps happening to the Chargers every single year. Get well soon, Justin, and here's hoping you can rid yourself of this wretched franchise sooner rather than later.
More Kansas City Chiefs News:
feed