Justin Herbert Injury News Causes Big Shift in Steelers-Chargers Odds

Herbert said he has a high ankle sprain.

Brian Giuffra | 4 Hours Ago

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Justin Herbert injured his ankle in the Los Angeles Chargers' Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers but didn't miss a snap in the game. The assumption was he wouldn't miss Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers either, but his status is now up in the air after Herbert said he has a high ankle sprain and his status for this week's game is officially TBD.

The odds for Steelers-Chargers moved quickly on the news.

The home team Steelers opened the week as 1.5-point favorites over the Chargers at FanDuel Sportsbook. After Herbert told reporters he might miss Week 3, that line has now moved to Steelers -3 at FanDuel.

The total for the game also moved on the Herbert news. The OVER/UNDER was 35.5 points at the beginning of the week, but is now down to 34.5 at FanDuel. That's the lowest total of any game on the Week 3 slate by 3 points.

#Chargers QB Justin Herbert, speaking with reporters for the first time this week, said he is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. He described the pain as "not great," but says his status is still TBD.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 20, 2024

Herbert missed practice on Wednesday and practiced on a limited basis on Thursday before sitting out practice again on Friday.

High ankle sprains typically take a few weeks to heal. Facing a Steelers pass rush that is amongst the best in the league, it wouldn't be surprising if Herbert sat out this contest to avoid injuring himself further.

If Herbert can't play, the Chargers will turn to Easton Stick. He played in five games last year for the Chargers, completing 63.8% of his passes for 1,129 yards and 3 TDs to one INT. He also ran the ball 27 times for 144 yards.

Jim Harbaugh's offense is predicated heavily on the run. Through two games, they have 71 rushing attempts to 46 passing attempts. J.K. Dobbins has 27 of those carries for 266 yards, averaging 9.9 yards per rush.

The Chargers offensive line has suddenly emerged as the strong suit of this unit. Rookie Joe Alt has been dominant at right tackle and left tackle Rashawn Slater is on his way to a second All-Pro season.

This was always expected to be a grind fest with two run-first offenses and stringy defense. If Herbert doesn't play, expect it to be even more so, as the odds shifts indicate.

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