Chargers Injury Report: Justin Herbert To Undergo Surgery, Season Could Be Ending

Perhaps not a total surprise, but not ideal.

When Pro Bowl Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert fractured his right index finger yesterday during LA’s eventual 24-7 defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos, his immediate future looked ominous.

To be fair, that may not have been such a terrible thing, as a floundering 5-8 LA squad still has an opportunity to tank down the home stretch of the 2023 season. The NFL looks to have a loaded draft, though many of the top prospects are quarterbacks, and Herbert has a killer arm, despite some fairly questionable late-game decision-making this year. 

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Herbert will most likely now undergo surgery for the ailing digit. A recovery timeline will be established after the procedure, but there’s a chance that, with just four games left and LA near the bottom of the AFC anyway, his 2023 season may be ending right now.

The 6'6", 236-pound former Oregon Duck has passed for 3,134 yards this season (11th-best in the NFL as of this writing), 20 touchdowns (ninth-best), and 63.8 quarterback rating (fifth). He appeared to be well on his way to a second Pro Bowl appearance, though with his availability up in the air going forward, that seems unlikely now.

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