Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who suffered a right high-ankle sprain on Sept. 15 versus the Carolina Panthers before sustaining an aggravation of that injury on Sept. 22 at the Pittsburgh Steelers, is out of a walking boot.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh relayed that news to reporters on Wednesday, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. He also said that Herbert's Monday MRI showed he is "progressing."

Despite the positive outlook, Herbert noted there has been discussion about sitting out and resting until the bye week: The quarterback broke down the situation Wednesday:

The Chargers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4 before a Week 5 bye.

Herbert previously dealt with a plantar fascia injury to his right foot during training camp and spent two weeks in a walking boot in early August. He was good to go for the regular season, though.

Unfortunately, Herbert suffered the sprain during a 26-3 road win over the Panthers. He practiced just once before the team's 20-10 loss to the Steelers but still started. However, Harbaugh removed Herbert from the game soon after a third quarter sack by Elandon Roberts.

Herbert was seen in a walking boot postgame. He told reporters (h/t Kris Rhim of ESPN) postgame that he was "getting sore" throughout the Steelers game but the pain got worse post-sack.

The question now is whether Herbert will be able to go for a crucial AFC West matchup against the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who have started the season 3-0.

If not, then the Chargers turn to Taylor Heinecke, who replaced Herbert in the Steelers game. L.A. also has Easton Stick on the roster.

But for now, Herbert's situation is worth monitoring as Sunday's game gets closer.

Los Angeles also has other concerns. Offensive tackle Joe Alt has a right MCL sprain and is likely out for the Chiefs matchup, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Fellow OT Rashawn Slater is expected out with a strained pectoral, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. And edge-rusher Joey Bosa (hip) is dealing with an aggravation of an injury that forced him to leave the Steelers game.

Overall, the Chargers are dealing with numerous injuries this week. Rhim provided more details.

Chargers safety Derwin James is also suspended one game for "repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players," capped by his hit on Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth.

So L.A. could very well go into Sunday very shorthanded. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James has been suspended one game without pay for "repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players," per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The suspension comes after the 28-year-old made forcible contact with Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth with his helmet on Sunday.

Per Rapoport, NFL executive Jon Runyan sent the following message to James:

Rapoport also noted that the 2018 first-rounder plans to appeal the suspension.

The hit against Freiermuth was flagged for unnecessary roughness, though James argued after the game that he shouldn't have been penalized.

"Like I said, I don't want to keep the drive going," he told reporters. "I'm trying to get the guy on the ground. I don't feel like I hit him in the head or neck, but we'll look at it."

Over the course of his six-year career, James has racked up five fines for a total of $127,792, with all of those being for some form of unnecessary roughness. The suspension marks the first of his career.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL warned specific players ahead of the season that it would not hold back on suspensions. The league sent the memo to more than 20 players who had been suspended during the past two seasons, though it didn't clarify which names were on that list.

Given the fact that James has never been suspended, he likely was not included.

The FSU product has had a successful six-year career with the Chargers. Last season, he had a career-high 125 tackles along with two sacks, an interception and seven passes deflected.

James' outstanding defense will be missed when Los Angeles looks for a big win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Chargers are reportedly signing veteran wideout Jalen Reagor to their practice squad, according to reporter Jordan Schultz.

Reagor started the season with the New England Patriots on the practice squad but was released last week. That followed the wideout posting a meme on his Instagram account that could have been interpreted as him being unhappy not making the 53-man roster.

Reagor, 25, has never lived up to the potential that made him a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2020 NFL draft. He lasted just two seasons in Philly, catching 64 passes for 695 yards and three touchdowns in 28 games.

His selection was even harder to stomach for Eagles fans given that Justin Jefferson was taken by the Minnesota Vikings just one pick later and has since become one of the most explosive offensive weapons in football.

Reagor actually landed in Minnesota after his ill-fated tenure in Philadelphia and appeared in all 17 games for the team during the 2022 season but only managed eight catches for 104 yards and a score.

He didn't do much better for the Patriots last season, with seven catches for 138 yards despite New England's lack of playmakers on offense. After going through training camp and the preseason with the Pats, he signed to the team's practice squad in late August.

As for the Chargers, the young pair of Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey has had a solid start to the season, while Joshua Palmer remains a familiar target for quarterback Justin Herbert. The team doesn't have many strong options at wideout beyond that, however, meaning Reagor could potentially carve out a small role for himself in Los Angeles if he impresses on the practice squad.

The Los Angeles Chargers are dealing with a pair of injuries on their offensive line ahead of Week 3's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, rookie offensive tackle Joe Alt suffered a sprained MCL in Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers while offensive tackle Rashawn Slater has a strained pec.

Rapoport noted that Alt won't have to have surgery, but he will miss some time due to the injury. It's not clear whether Slater's injury will force him to miss any time.

Alt, the Chargers' fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of Notre Dame, has started all three games this season, playing 172 offensive snaps and recording a 77.0 PFF grade. He didn't allow a sack or a pressure while facing Maxx Crosby or Jadeveon Clowney, though he did finally give up his first sack against T.J. Watt and the Steelers.

While it's certainly good news that he won't have to have surgery, Los Angeles will miss the outstanding rookie as it takes on the Chiefs this week.

With one member of the offensive line out for Sunday's contest, the Chargers will hope Slater's injury isn't enough to keep him off the field. Slater, who is in his fourth season with Los Angeles, has played 156 offensive snaps this year, notching an 81.7 PFF grade.

The Chargers are off to a 2-1 start this season, taking down the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers in Weeks 1 and 2 before losing to the Steelers as quarterback Justin Herbert exited early with an ankle injury.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will "continue to be monitored this week" after X-rays on his injured ankle were negative, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Herbert told reporters last Friday that he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday in Week 2. He admitted that the pain was "not great" as the Chargers geared up for a Week 3 road matchup at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Geoffrey C. Arnold of the Oregonian provided more details.

"Herbert sustained the injury after getting the ankle rolled up on near the end of the third quarter in Carolina. Herbert remained on the field for a few moments before he eventually got up, walked slowly to the sideline before entering the blue medical tent. He didn't miss a snap and finished the game, but was walking with a limp after the game."

Rapoport reported Friday morning that Herbert's MRI was "mostly clean" and that it didn't seem to be a major injury. However, he added that Herbert was "extremely limited" during the team's Thursday, Sept. 19 practice.

While the 26-year-old started against Pittsburgh, he only played 36 offensive snaps in the 20-10 loss, with Taylor Heinicke taking over at quarterback midway through.

Herbert, who is in his fifth NFL season, has completed 43-of-64 passes for 399 yards, four touchdowns and one interception through three starts on the season.

Although Easton Stick is listed as the backup in Los Angeles' unofficial depth chart, Heinicke's elevation points to how the coaching staff would approach the QB situation in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs if Herbert is out.

The hope might be that their Week 5 bye limits how much time Herbert misses if he is sidelined.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was seen wearing a walking boot after exiting Sunday's 20-10 loss due to an injury.

Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters after the game that Herbert—who was questionable entering the game due to an ankle injury—was going to be pulled at the "first sign" of a limp:

Herbert was also seen walking carefully towards the team's medical tent. He played in the game despite dealing with a prior high ankle sprain.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported that Herbert went back to the bench after a "long stay" in the medical tent and he still had his helmet.

When Herbert exited the game, Los Angeles was tied 10-10 with the Steelers. He was 12-of-18 for 125 yards and a touchdown.

He walked off and was replaced in the third by Taylor Heinicke.

Losing Herbert for an extended period would be a major hit to the Chargers. The 26-year-old has thrown for 17,497 yards and 118 touchdowns in his career and is the focal point of the team's offense.

He sustained a season-ending injury in 2023 and also dealt with a plantar fascia injury during training camp. He was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and did not practice on Wednesday due to the high ankle sprain.

Now, Los Angeles will have to wait and see if Herbert will be able to play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.

Los Angeles Chargers star pass-rusher Joey Bosa injured his hip after just one snap during the team's matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Bosa was initially listed as questionable to return, but he was later downgraded to out.

The 29-year-old has dealt with hip troubles throughout the start of the 2024 season, making a limited appearance during Los Angeles' win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 after sustaining the injury in the team's season-opener.

Bosa was on the field for just 14 snaps against the Panthers but he appeared to be progressing in his recovery ahead of Sunday's contest against Pittsburgh.

He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before fully participating in Friday's walkthrough. In fact, he didn't receive an injury designation heading into Week 3.

The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end previously missed several weeks of training camp after undergoing surgery to repair a broken hand that he suffered during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams.

Bosa is a crucial part of Los Angeles' defense when healthy, racking up 58 sacks and 73 tackles for loss to go along with 13 forced fumbles throughout the first six years of his career.

He's been hampered by injuries as of late, appearing in fewer than 10 games in each of the past two seasons. Bosa battled separate foot, toe and hamstring issues in 2021 and 2022.

The Chargers dealt with multiple key players exiting their clash with the Steelers, as quarterback Justin Herbert exited in the third quarter after appearing to aggravate an ankle injury (via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport).

Bosa's status moving forward is unknown, but Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree will likely replace him on the field until he's able to return.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert told reporters Friday that he is dealing with a high-ankle sprain suffered during the team's Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Herbert said that while the pain related to the injury is "not great," his status for the team's Week 3 road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday is to be determined.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian) reported that Herbert was "extremely limited" during Thursday's practice.

Rapoport added during an appearance on NFL Network's The Insiders that "it does seem like Justin Herbert is pushing to play and wants to play and is trying to play like crazy."

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday that Herbert was dealing with an ankle injury, and that he expected the quarterback "to get better every day."

"I was in a meeting with him," Harbaugh said. "Said he was feeling much better and good today."

Herbert underwent X-rays on his right leg on Monday which came back negative, Harbaugh told reporters.

The Chargers quarterback was injured during Week 2's 26-3 win over the Panthers after taking a hit in the third quarter. He did not miss any playing time, but he was seen walking with a "significant limp" after the game, per ESPN's Kris Rhim.

Herbert finished Week 2's game having gone 14-of-20 for 130 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble lost on the play during which he was injured.

He had previously led the Chargers to a 22-10 season-opening win over the Las Vegas Raiders at home with 17-of-26 passing for a touchdown and no picks.

If Herbert is unable to play, the Chargers will turn to Easton Stick, with Taylor Heinicke serving as backup.

Herbert started 34 straight regular-season games while amassing 9,753 passing yards through 2021 and 2022, but his 2023 campaign was cut short by a season-ending fracture on the index finger of his throwing hand.

The Chargers will hope they can avoid Herbert missing time this season, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Stick's viability as a starter following his 45.5 percent pass accuracy rate in three preseason appearances.

Jim Harbaugh takes a unique approach to the cold tub.

During an appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa revealed that his head coach will hop into the cold tub without removing any clothing.

"He's been hitting the cold tub and he just gets in full outfit," Bosa said. "Shirt still tucked in and he's just sitting there."

When asked about the specific outfit he is wearing in the tub, Bosa reveals that it includes every accessory, including his belt and khakis.

Harbaugh is in his first season with the Chargers and things have gotten off to a strong start. Los Angeles is 2-0 and outscoring opponents 48-16 thus far.

He came to the franchise after leading his alma mater, Michigan to a National Championship in 2023. This is Harbaugh's second NFL head coaching stint after compiling a 44-19-1 record as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014.

Bosa is a cornerstone piece for the Chargers, with 69 career sacks and four Pro Bowl selections to his name. He has recorded two sacks and nine total tackles thus far in 2024.

While Harbaugh's cold tub approach may be unorthodox, the early returns show that he has good instincts.