Justin Herbert diagnosed with rib cartilage fracture after playing through injury in loss to Chiefs

Justin Herbert diagnosed with rib cartilage fracture after playing through injury in loss to Chiefs, as Chargers coach Brandon Staley says he’s ‘day-to-day’ and calls update ‘good news’

  • Justin Herbert suffered a rib injury Thursday night vs. the Chiefs after a tough hit
  • And it was feared the injury could be serious as the QB was visibly in pain after
  • But a CT scan has revealed a fracture of the cartilage, rather than the bone, which is considered positive by Chargers coach Brandon Staley 

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has fractured rib cartilage after taking a hit during the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Coach Brandon Staley said a CT scan Friday morning confirmed the injury. Staley said the third-year quarterback is day-to-day and that his status will be evaluated again on Monday. 

The Chargers (1-1) don’t return to the practice field until Wednesday, when they will begin preparing to host Jacksonville on September 25.

Justin Herbert suffered a rib injury after taking a hard hit in the fourth quarter Thursday night

Justin Herbert suffered a rib injury after taking a hard hit in the fourth quarter Thursday night

Justin Herbert is seen in pain after the injury

Justin Herbert is helped by members of the Chargers staff

Herbert was visibly in pain after the injury but only missed one play with the game still in reach

‘I think we got good news in terms of what the CT scan showed. You don’t want it to be a fracture of the bone. So the fact that it’s cartilage was a good sign,’ Staley said. 

‘It’s going to come down to comfort. Let the weekend calm down and then when we get into game week we’ll have a better sense of how he’s feeling.’

Herbert completed 33 of 48 passes for 334 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He missed only one play after taking a hard hit from Kansas City defensive lineman Michael Danna on 12-yard completion to Gerald Everett with five minutes to go.

Herbert led a gutsy touchdown drive after the injury but it wasn't enough for the win

Herbert led a gutsy touchdown drive after the injury but it wasn’t enough for the win

Herbert was 7 of 11 for 79 yards after the injury, despite one play where he was in physical distress and threw the ball away on third-and-1 when he could have run for a first down. 

 That stretch included a fourth-down bullet to DeAndre Carter for 35 yards to the Kansas City 8-yard line and then connecting with Joshua Palmer on fourth-and-goal for a 7-yard TD.

‘Nobody cares about Justin more than I do. It’s a tough game, and as long as he feels like he can go in that moment, then that’s what we´re gonna roll with,’ Staley said. 

‘I think he did a good job of protecting himself. I think what you saw is that he’s a really smart player. He´s not gonna put himself at risk in that moment, not going to take one more extra hit than he needs to.’

Chase Daniel would be in line to start if Herbert could not go. The 13-year veteran has six career starts, most recently in 2019 for the Chicago Bears.

source: dailymail.co.uk