COSTA MESA, Calif. — Justin Herbert visited two hand specialists on Monday after the Chargers quarterback fractured the index finger on his right hand during the second quarter of Los Angeles’ 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Coach Brandon Staley said Monday morning that he would wait until those visits were completed before he made a decision on Herbert’s status for Thursday night’s game at the Las Vegas Raiders.
“There’s a lot of information that we’re gathering right now, but he’s as tough as they come. We’re gonna make sure that whatever it is, we’re going to do what’s best for Justin long term,” Staley said about the franchise quarterback, who signed a $252 million, five-year extension before the start of training camp.
Herbert, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, has been durable in his career, with 62 consecutive regular-season starts. He played through a broken finger on his non-throwing hand earlier this season and fractured rib cartilage last season.
The injury apparently happened when Herbert was taken down awkwardly by Denver’s Zach Allen after completing an 11-yard pass to Donald Parham. Herbert was in for four more plays, and was 1 of 3 passing for 14 yards.
If Herbert is unable to play, backup Easton Stick would likely become only the Chargers’ fourth starting quarterback since 2006. Stick was 13 of 24 for 179 yards in Herbert’s place after the injury.
TEXANS: C.J. Stroud had the worst game of his young career in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets before leaving because of a concussion.
Now the Texans must wait and see if the star rookie quarterback can return this week or if they’ll have to start Davis Mills against the Titans.
“We’ll see how he progresses,” Coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Not many guys have returned the following week from a concussion. It’s more about the long-term health than the excitement of the game. We care about their long-term health.”
Stroud went into Sunday’s game leading the NFL with 3,540 yards passing and had averaged 348 yards in his previous five games. But he had a season-low 91 yards playing in wet and windy conditions before leaving with about 6½ minutes left after hitting his head on the turf.
BROWNS: Rookie right tackle Dawand Jones will undergo season-ending knee surgery, yet another blow to a team that has spent the season dealing with major injuries.
A fourth-round pick from Ohio State, the 6-foot-8, 375-pound Jones had a strong season after being thrust into the starting lineup earlier than expected when two-time All-Pro Jack Conklin tore knee ligaments in Week 1.
The Browns (8-5), who are currently holding a wild-card spot, are also missing left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who is on injured reserve because of a knee injury. Center Ethan Pocic suffered a neck stinger in the first quarter Sunday against Jacksonville and was replaced by Nick Harris.
• Browns safety Grant Delpit signed a three-year, $36 million contract extension, one day after he injured his groin in a win over Jacksonville.
The deal includes $23 million guaranteed.
A second-round pick from LSU in 2020, Delpit would have been eligible for free agency after this season.
VIKINGS: Wide receiver Justin Jefferson avoided internal injury from the airborne hit he took while catching a pass that cut short his return to action and has a “good chance” to play this week, Coach Kevin O’Connell said.
After missing seven games because of a hamstring strain, Jefferson was sidelined again Sunday at Las Vegas when he went high for a 15-yard completion in the second quarter and was smacked hard from the side by Raiders safety Marcus Epps.
Jefferson immediately clutched his lower back, jogged gingerly off the field for a breather and wound up in the blue medical tent for closer examination. The Vikings sent him to a hospital as a precaution for further testing after what they announced as a chest injury.
STEELERS: The Pittsburgh could be without star outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as its prepares for a pivotal visit to Indianapolis.
Watt and Highsmith are both in the concussion protocol following a loss to New England last Thursday.
Pittsburgh remains in the playoff mix despite back-to-back home losses to last-place teams – Arizona and New England. The Steelers are in the AFC’s second wild-card spot with four games left, including two straight against teams directly below them in the standings in the Colts and Bengals.
Mitch Trubisky will make a second straight start at quarterback for the Steelers while Kenny Pickett recovers from right ankle surgery.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.