Justin

Herbert

Herbert suffered a plantar fascia injury in camp and missed some time while recovering. Herbert was listed as a full participant in all three practice sessions this week before being removed from the report. The injury could limit his mobility slightly, but there has been no indication that it will be a long-term issue. Herbert is a top-10 talent at quarterback, but Jim Harbuagh’s run-first style will severely limit his passing volume. Fantasy managers should treat him as a high-end QB2 going into the season.

Per Popper, the team said nothing has changed with Herbert since Wednesday’s practice. The veteran quarterback was not on yesterday’s report, but the league has advised them to add him to the report despite him being back on the field for over two weeks. It’s an odd request by the league, but it doesn’t sound like there’s anything to be worried about here. We fully expect Herbert to play in Week 1 against the Raiders barring any legitimate setbacks.

Herbert had missed much of camp and preseason with a foot injury, revealed to be plantar fascia. He returned to practice towards the end of the preseason and now appears to be good to go for Week 1. Foot injuries can be difficult to shake, so there is a chance Herbert will be back on the injury report managing the issue. However, things look good for him to play through it for now. Expect Herbert to be in the high-end QB2 range this week.

Things appeared to be trending in this direction after the Chargers released quarterback Max Duggan earlier in the day. After shedding his walking boot late last week, Herbert was spotted throwing in warmups and could be nearing a full return to action. Back on August 1, the Chargers said Herbert would be week-to-week with a plantar fascia injury he suffered in camp before putting him through a gradual ramp-up period as the season approaches. On the surface, it would appear everything is on track for Herbert to be ready by Week 1, but the team will probably give us more specific details in the coming days.

Herbert shed it for weight room work. It’s possible the 26-year-old still slaps it on another time or two in the days ahead, but it’s a clear sign he is headed in the right direction after going down two weeks ago. Setbacks happen all the time, but for the moment, Herbert is well on track to return to the practice field comfortably ahead of Week 1.

The team announced in a statement that the injury is to Herbert’s right foot and is just the second lower-body injury of his career. He will protect the injury with a boot for the next two weeks before initiating a gradual return-to-play ramp-up period. Herbert has been going later than usual in fantasy drafts under a Jim Harbaugh/Greg Roman regime that’s expected to take a more run-centric approach this season. It’s possible his ADP will drop even more in the coming weeks with this injury, creating a nice buying scenario for fantasy managers. Despite the injury, the team is hopeful that Herbert will return in time for Week 1’s matchup against the Raiders.

Justin Herbert, per Popper, is “developing a connection” with McConkey, the second-round rookie wideout out of Georgia, where he ran 31 percent of his pass routes from the slot over three seasons. The smallish McConkey profiles as a traditional slot guy in the NFL, and should take on that role in the LA offense while Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston operate on the outside. If McConkey is strictly a slot receiver in 2024, his snaps and routes could be somewhat limited in the run-first Chargers offense. Rotoworld’s Denny Carter recently wrote about McConkey’s target-earning profile at Georgia.

The Monday Night matchup for Week 12 will feature the Harbaugh brothers facing off for the first time since Jim Harbaugh signed on to coach the Chargers this offseason. Jim and John famously coached against each other in Super Bowl XLVII, with John and the Ravens coming out on top over Jim and the 49ers. This Chargers team has a heavy Ravens influence, with former Ravens exec Joe Hortiz now the Chargers’ general manager. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson will look to keep the Ravens contending while Justin Herbert will quarterback a changed Chargers offense in the latest iteration of the “HarBowl”.

McConkey instantly becomes LA’s No. 1 receiver ahead of Josh Palmer and Quenton Johnston. He should see solid target volume despite playing in Greg Roman’s ultra run-heavy offense under a head coach that wants nothing more than to establish the run. A former three-star recruit, McConkey (6’/186) was redshirted for his first year at Georgia before taking on a part-time role in the offense in 2021. He excelled on his limited number of routes, leading the team’s wide receivers—which at the time included Adonai Mitchell and Jermaine Burton—with 31 catches. His role and his stats took a step forward the following year and he appeared poised for a breakout as a senior. Instead, back and ankle injuries limited him to nine appearances in which he posted a 30/478/2 receiving line. McConkey posted an elite, 3.3 yards per route run in his final season. He proved to be more than just a crafty slot receiver at the combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash. McConkey later added top-notch marks in the three-cone and short shuttle to his resume at Georgia’s Pro Day. McConkey’s combination of route-running and athleticism makes it easy to downplay his lack of production given how quickly he should adapt to the NFL’s speed and physicality.

The Chargers’ answer was, very quickly, “a flat no.” Instead, the Chargers kept Herbert and gave him more protection by selecting OT Joe Alt. In reality, the Chargers trading Herbert never made much sense. Mostly because he’s a good quarterback but also because they would have had to take on a $63.5 million cap charge for the 2024 season. The Chargers only have $32.3 million of cap space, so the move would have been a financial mess. We can all turn the page on these rumors now.