Justin Herbert News

Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Herbert popped up on the injury report with a left shoulder injury following the Chargers' win over the Rams in Week 17. He finished the contest with 212 yards and two touchdowns but was replaced by Chase Daniels in the fourth quarter. Herbert didn't appear limited by the issue during the regular-season finale against Denver or the wild-card loss to Jacksonville, as he finished with 273 yards in both games and had three total touchdowns during that stretch. The third-year quarterback was an alternate for the Pro Bowl, but he'll sit out the contest and set his sights on preparing for the 2023 regular season.

It didn't lead to a particularly notable performance from a box score standpoint, but Herbert helped lead the Chargers to 27 points in the first half. His lone touchdown came on a nine-yard completion with Gerald Everett midway through the second quarter. Herbert did struggle in the second half -- along with the entire team -- as he averaged only 5.8 yards per attempt and failed to generate offense at key points in the game. Overall, Herbert put together another fairly strong season, though he failed to top 30 touchdowns for the first time in his career and averaged a career-low 6.8 yards per attempt across 17 games.

Herbert and his fellow first-unit weapons played the majority of the game despite the Chargers' playoff positioning being locked in. The third-year signal-caller hit Keenan Allen and Gerald Everett with scoring tosses from 14 and three yards out, respectively, giving him eight multi-touchdown performances during the regular season. Mike Williams' early exit due to a back injury is naturally a concerning development ahead of Sunday's road wild-card matchup against the Jaguars, however, and certainly could affect Herbert's fantasy outlook for what already lines up as a difficult matchup.

Herbert and the Chargers moved the ball with ease against the Rams, scoring four total offensive touchdowns. His pair came on tosses of six and three yards in the middle of the third and late fourth quarters, respectively. Herbert managed to throw for multiple touchdowns for the first time in his last four games, and he could have had a bigger game if he hadn't been pulled with a comfortable lead early in the final quarter. It remains to be seen whether Herbert will start the Chargers' Week 18 matchup against the Broncos, which will likely be dependent on whether playoff seeding is at stake.

Though the Chargers had a relatively easy win and clinched a trip to the postseason, Herbert had one of his last productive games of the season. That was in part caused by game script, though he was sacked four times and was regularly under pressure which limited his ability to push the ball deep. Herbert has now failed to throw for a touchdown in consecutive games, though he should have the opportunity to bounce back against a Rans defense that has been depleted by injuries in recent weeks.

Despite the fact he posted his third straight 300-yard game, Herbert failed to get the ball into the end zone for only the third time in 46 career NFL contests. He still came up big when it counted, however, getting the Chargers in position for a game-winning field goal with just 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Herbert will look to rack up some TDs in Week 16 against a Colts defense that could still be reeling after huge second-half collapses in each of its last two games.