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Kris Rhim, ESPN
LOS ANGELES — Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert fractured the middle finger on his left hand, the team confirmed Monday.
Herbert would be listed as probable and would play this Sunday if the Chargers weren’t on a bye this week, a team spokesperson said.
The injury, on Herbert’s non-throwing hand, came in the third quarter of Sunday’s 24-17 victory over the Raiders.
Chargers coach Brandon Staley called Herbert a “tough customer,” on Monday. He said to expect that Herbert would not take the majority of his snaps from under center, and that they are going to “change it up as much as we can.”
Herbert said the injury resulted from his finger getting stuck in a helmet after he threw an interception caught by Raiders cornerback Tre’von Moehrig. Herbert sat on the field after the play and then headed to the medical tent with an athletic trainer who covered Herbert’s hand with a towel.
When Herbert returned to the field for the Chargers’ next possession, his left hand was wrapped in a bandage, and he had a splint on his finger. He later put on a glove, and he was still wearing the splint after the game.
For all but one snap for the remainder of the game, the offense operated from the shotgun and pistol formation, instead of under center, to make handling the ball easy for Herbert. The injury didn’t appear to bother Herbert much Sunday, as he connected with receiver Joshua Palmer for a 45-yard pass to seal the win.
The bye week comes at a perfect time for the Chargers who were also without three of their best players in running back Austin Ekeler, outside linebacker Joey Bosa and safety Derwin James Jr. on Sunday. They will play the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6.
“I think what’s top of our list is just rest,” Staley said, “and making sure we get a fresh group going into Dallas that’s hungry. And you know that that’s ready to go play a quality game against a quality team.”
