Justin Herbert, the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback, just had surgery to repair his left hand. Adding to the stakes, this procedure occurred only a week before the team’s playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. In spite of the procedure, Herbert was as usual personally influential in the Chargers’ victory on Monday night—a two-minute drill mesh of resilience and determination.
After the game, Herbert underwent postgame X-rays to determine the status of his fractured hand. The news came with some good results, including news that the X-Rays came back “clean for the most part,” quelling initial fears over his injury. Herbert called the tests precautionary after leading his team to a 23-20 overtime victory over Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, Herbert said that his hand was “extremely sore.” Even with all that ordeal, he performed best on the worst day ever. He flashed his impressive athleticism with a team-high 66 yards on very impressive 10 carries. His scrambling ability would prove to be key. He picked up three first downs with his runs, bringing his season total on the year to 18 first downs on scrambles.
In a critical situation during the extra session, Herbert moved the chains by navigating an apparent seven-yard loss into a 12-yard first down. With his uncommonly huge stiff-arm on Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, he put skill and authority on full display.
Though he made great contributions during his governorship, Herbert was not satisfied with his own performance. He acknowledged, “I missed a lot of throws and played uncharacteristically.” His self-assessment points to his commitment to improving and holding himself accountable as a leader for the Chargers.
Herbert’s willingness to play through pain is the determination we’ve come to expect from him. He stated, “In the moment I think that was the best thing that I could have done for the team,” emphasizing his desire to support his teammates even when faced with challenges.
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