The Chargers are three games into the season and things are already going off the rails. Superstar QB Justin Herbert suffered a high-ankle sprain in a Week 2 win vs. the Panthers and aggravated it in the Week 3 game loss against the Steelers. Now, Herbert and the Chargers face a choice: rest him in week four and give him two weeks off with the bye week, or play an unhealthy Justin Herbert against Chris Jones and the Chiefs defense.
Herbert said they were not planning to sit him for the sake of rest, but they discussed the idea. Should they start him, things could get ugly. If Herbert does play, he will likely be without his two best friends, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Without their two-star pass-protectors, the Chargers offense will not have fun doing anything against the Chiefs. Without any time in the pocket, Herbert will be forced to use his injured leg or take hits that could jeopardize his long-term availability.
Even if Herbert plays setting up a run game will be rough. Going up against Chris Jones, the Chargers’ interior line is subpar, and added in with the backups at OT, and the entire offensive line may collapse every play. This is why some say the Chargers should rest all their stars before the bye to be ready for Week 5. While they may get fined for doing that, they could easily lower the risk to their future by sitting Herbert – who has a justified reason to be out.
If Herbert doesn’t suit up for the Bolts in So Fi on Sunday, Taylor Heinicke will lead the offense. While Heinicke is a serviceable backup, asking him to beat the Chiefs behind an injured offensive line is a very tall task. This is a tough matchup for a QB to make their first start on a team against, and it looks like Heinicke may be thrown into that fire on Sunday. On top of this, Justin Herbert is beginning to build real chemistry with Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, and two weeks without throwing to them may throw off their rhythm quite a bit.
Jim Harbaugh is likely weighing the pros and cons of having Herbert suit up right now. He is going to think about it and have his decision by Sunday. The chances are, however, no matter what he chooses the Chargers will lose. LA is likely going into this game without Derwin James, Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater, and possibly Joey Bosa. Without those players, Justin Herbert will be incapable of beating his biggest rivals alone. For those reasons, the best move for the Chargers and Justin Herbert is to give him a two-week bye and be fully ready to go against the Broncos.
