QB Herbert questionable, pain in ankle ‘not great’​

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said Friday that doctors diagnosed him with a high right ankle sprain. He said that his status for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is “yet to be decided.”

Herbert said the pain in his ankle “is not great,” and he walked with a limp after his news conference.

“Thankfully, it’s only Friday,” Herbert said. “It is what it is. It’s all about getting treatment and making sure that it’s at its best and doing everything I can to limit the swelling, limit the pain and just keep things moving forward.”

The Chargers listed Herbert as questionable for Sunday’s game. He didn’t practice on Wednesday or Friday this week and was limited on Thursday.

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Coach Jim Harbaugh said Herbert not practicing Friday wasn’t a sign of any regression in Herbert’s recovery but rather was part of the plan set out by the athletic training staff.

“Every day, it’s been getting better,” Herbert said. “It’s just getting it to a point where you feel comfortable going out there and being able to move.”

On Wednesday, Harbaugh said that quarterback Easton Stick would be the starter if Herbert couldn’t play, but on Friday, Harbaugh appeared to backtrack on that statement.

“Until I really know exactly what Justin’s status is, I’m not going to really reveal any of what the contingencies are,” he said.

Herbert’s injury happened in the third quarter of Sunday’s 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers. Herbert tried to escape the pocket but was pulled from behind by linebacker DJ Johnson and hit face-first by defensive end Jayden Peevy simultaneously, causing his lower body to get trapped under Johnson.

Herbert walked off the field and went into a medical tent with trainers, but he didn’t miss a snap. After his postgame news conference, Herbert walked with a significant limp.

This is the second injury Herbert has dealt with this season. During training camp, he spent two weeks in a walking boot while dealing with a plantar fascia injury to his right foot. Herbert said he would have to monitor that injury throughout the season.

Herbert said Friday, however, that he is recovered from the plantar fascia injury.

Herbert has been one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL through his first four seasons. He started 62 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak by a quarterback, before a fracture to his right index finger in Week 14 last year ended his season. Stick went winless in the Chargers’ final four games.

“Injuries are unfortunately a part of the game, and you have to do everything you can to limit those,” Herbert said. “…Complaining and worrying about it isn’t going to help very much.”