Justin Herbert's hand injury cost him the second half of Sunday's 24-7 loss to Denver, and it could end up robbing him of much more.
Herbert suffered a fractured index finger on his throwing hand, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning. The Chargers QB will undergo multiple tests Monday and seek multiple opinions on his injury before determining a course of action.
Herbert has already seen one hand specialist and was set to see another Monday afternoon, per Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, who remained vague when speaking with reporters Monday morning, telling them "we're going to do whatever's best for Justin long-term." He declined to say if Herbert might have a chance to play in the Chargers' Thursday night game against the Raiders.
The 2023 season hasn't gone according to plan for the Chargers, who at 5-8 are staring at a difficult final month of the campaign, especially if Herbert isn't available. Most everything is uncertain regarding the club's future, including Staley's job security, which is very much in jeopardy after Los Angeles has fallen short of expectations and looked downright dreadful in a handful of their defeats.
Sunday stood as the new low point of the year for the Chargers, who fell behind by 17 points and lost Herbert to injury before managing to put seven points on the board in the fourth quarter of a 17-point loss to the Broncos. We'll see if doctors believe Herbert might be able to play -- a fractured index finger on a throwing hand makes that highly unlikely -- or if Staley is forced to play out the rest of 2023 with backup Easton Stick.