The Los Angeles Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert are gearing up for a season opening matchup with rivals Las Vegas Raiders. A key to the Chargers’ victory is tied to Herbert’s health. So, the question is whether he is recovered from his finger injury that ended his season in 2023 and the right foot injury suffered in training camp.

Herbert suffered a broken finger on his passing hand during a 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. He tried to play through the pain, as he’s done with prior injuries. Consider that in 2022 Herbert suffered from broken rib cartilage but he did not miss any game time as a result of that injury. However, in this case, Herbert required surgery that ended his season. Despite missing the last four games, Herbert’s statistics reveal just how important he is to the Charger’s offense. He threw for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Throughout the early days of training camp, Herbert did not appear to have any lingering issues with the finger. Unfortunately, on July 31, the team announced that he was diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot and wore a protective boot for two weeks. The timeline for Herbert’s return to practice was always based on the longer-term outlook. The team’s plan was to error on the side of caution and not push Herbert for a return sooner rather than later. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler summed up the situation this way:

“Though they want him in August, they need him in September,” said Fowler. The team’s “hope and expectation” is he will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 8.

The good news is that Herbert is not only back at practice, but he is also performing as though he never missed a day. For further confirmation of Herbert’s health, Hall-of-Fame quarterback and Former Oregon Duck star, Dan Fouts, said he spoke with Herbert prior to the final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.

“He (Herbert] told me last night that his right foot has healed completely and is no longer an issue.”

Charger’s first-year head coach, Jim Harbaugh, certainly welcomed the return of his star signal-caller but was challenged to find the right words.

“I’m gonna leave it up to you guys to come up with the right adjective,” Harbaugh said. “Every one I come up with in my head doesn’t do it justice. It’s been infectious for the whole team too.” Harbaugh went on to describe Herbert’s first workout since injuring the foot.

“It felt great,” Harbaugh said. “It felt like music should be playing, I thought I heard music, voices of angels maybe. It felt great. He looked great with a capital G. No drop-off, pinpoint accuracy.”

The Chargers did add to their quarterbacks room Wednesday, trading for Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick.

All signs point to Herbert being ready to take the field on September 8 when the Chargers play host to the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium. Charger’s fans should be excited about the matchup as Herbert has a history of playing well against their division rivals. Herbert is 4-3 against the Raiders with 2,026 passing yards, a completion percentage of 62.6 with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Lastly, for those who may have a fantasy football interest in Herbert’s health and prospects for the 2024 season, there may be an opportunity to pick up a quarterback that could be a surprise breakout candidate. With health apparently no longer an issue, the focus will be on performance. Granted, Herbert is playing for another new head coach in Harbaugh and offensive coordinator, Greg Roman. Yet, all indications are that Herbert has mostly mastered this change and is ready to have a big year.

To that point, former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos’ quarterback, Peyton Manning recently listed his top five signal-callers. In an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith at Fanatics Fest, Manning listed his top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Among the list was Herbert, whom Manning ranked third overall.

“This Justin Herbert is as talented as anybody, he can throw it a mile,” said the Hall-of-Famer.

Based on last year’s numbers, Herbert has fallen in the quarterback rankings and will likely be overlooked in many fantasy football drafts. Yet, he could be the sleeper that puts up monster numbers in the upcoming season.