Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is dealing with a sprained ankle and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 26-year-old did not practice on the University of North Carolina-Charlotte campus on Friday after participating on a limited basis on Thursday. He had a thick layer of athletic tape around his right field Friday as he worked with trainers on the sideline.
Herbert, who was injured last Sunday in a win over the Carolina Panthers, will “do everything he can” to play Sunday, coach Jim Harbaugh said, but the quarterback could not confirm whether he would expect to play.
“Luckily, it’s only Friday,” Herbert said, putting most of his weight on his uninjured left leg.
Herbert said the pain is “not bad, but it is what it is.” He is working around the clock with ice and compression to keep the swelling down. If he can’t play, the Chargers will start Easton Stick or Taylor Heinicke.
Stick played in three preseason games with up-and-down results, leading the team to add Heinicke to the roster after training camp. Heinicke, a 10-year NFL veteran, has spent the past three weeks learning the complex scheme, initially being left speechless when he called the play. But Harbaugh and Herbert praised Heinicke’s ability to get up to speed quickly.
“I haven’t seen anyone do it as fast as Taylor,” Harbaugh said. “It was unbelievable.”
