Justin Herbert’s name never showed up on the Chargers’ first injury report of the week, and that alone gave Los Angeles a much-needed boost heading into Monday night in Baltimore.
That was the cleanest bit of news the Chargers had all week after Herbert exited Sunday’s 44-22 loss to Houston with an injury to the middle finger on his left hand. The quarterback took the hit late in the fourth quarter while trying to stiff-arm Texans defensive lineman Logan Hall during one of the eight sacks he absorbed, which matched a career high.
Herbert wanted to keep playing, but Jim Harbaugh shut that down and sent DJ Uiagalelei in to finish the game.
The early signs after the game were already encouraging. X-rays the next day showed no fracture, and Harbaugh said his quarterback “should be good to go,” which Thursday’s practice report seemed to confirm.
That matters for a Chargers team that has had precious little break its way this season. Herbert’s 11 interceptions are tied with Drake Maye for the league lead, and Los Angeles has now dropped 11 straight games dating back to last season, its longest skid since the franchise opened 0-11 in 2000.
Even so, Herbert’s situation doesn’t look like the kind of injury that should keep him out. He’s dealt with something worse on that same non-throwing hand before, undergoing surgery late last season to stabilize a fracture and still preparing to play days later while practicing in a cast.
A finger issue that cleared on X-rays is a different level of concern, and the Monday night kickoff gives him an extra day to recover.
The matchup itself also gives the Chargers a real opening. Baltimore is set to start Jacoby Brissett, who just arrived in a trade, with Lamar Jackson out for the season and Tyler Huntley also hurt. The Ravens have lost four in a row, and Brissett will have had less than a week to get comfortable in the offense.
If Los Angeles is going to find its first win of the season, this is the spot where the quarterback edge looks strongest.
That’s especially true after Herbert showed some life late against Houston. His 58-yard touchdown to Quentin Johnston snapped a stretch of 37 straight possessions without a touchdown, and the late scoring drives suggested the downfield passing game can still hit when the protection holds.
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For Chargers fans, it is the kind of odd-footnote development that still lands with a little extra weight because Rivers spent so many years as the face of the franchise. He had previously interviewed for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job, and after briefly returning to the field for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025 before retiring, he now takes on a role that asks much more of him off the sideline than anyone expected when his playing days ended. [Read more 🡒]