Having your bye in Week 5 typically isn’t ideal for NFL teams. Oftentimes, teams prefer to have their bye weeks later in the season to benefit more from the accumulated injuries throughout the 17-game season.
For the Chargers, though, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. Justin Herbert has been dealing with nagging injuries all season, and the bye allowed him to heal up.
He hasn’t practiced fully in nearly a month, and that’s continued into this week as he has remained limited. On Wednesday though, he told reporters that his ankle is feeling better.
“We’re getting better. As long as we’re doing that, we’re in the right position. It does feel better. Made it through the game, and having that bye week off has definitely helped just continuing to get that inflammation down.”
The Chargers are 2-2 on the season and began their post-bye schedule with a matchup against the Broncos in Denver this weekend. The Chargers are coming off back-to-back losses, while the Broncos have won three straight.
Herbert’s numbers have taken a severe hit this season. He’s on pace for career lows in nearly every aspect, some of which have to do with Jim Harbaugh’s play style. The injuries have clearly affected the star, though, so getting him healthy should help improve this passing attack.
Despite his injuries this year, Herbert has still started every game. He continues to prove just how tough he is, a theme that has become transparent throughout his career.
There’s no question as to who will be under center for the Chargers this weekend, and we may see the best that we’ve seen out of Herbert this season. If we do, we can all thank the schedule makers for that Week 5 bye.