Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL has suddenly gotten more difficult.
When Harbaugh took the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coaching job after winning the national title at alma mater Michigan, he seemed set at quarterback with Justin Herbert as his starter.
That all changed early in camp when Herbert was sidelined with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot. The Chargers put the best face on the situation, saying he would be in a boot for two weeks and then make a gradual return and be ready to play in the season opener against the Raiders.
That is the optimistic report. But the injury, which is an inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes, can cause intense pain and take a lot of time to heal.
Meanwhile, the quarterback instead will be Easton Stick, who threw one pass in his first four seasons. Last year he came in after Herbert suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand in the second quarter of a loss to Denver. Stick then started and lost the final four games while throwing three touchdown passes and one interception.
While Herbert had started the previous 62 games, he often played hurt with bruised ribs, a torn labrum on his non-throwing shoulder and a broken finger on his non-throwing hand before missing the last four games last year with the broken finger on his throwing hand.
Last July, he signed a five-year $262.5 million extension, so the Chargers are committed to him.
The quarterbacks behind Stick are second-year pro Max Duggan and undrafted rookie Casey Bauman.
Herbert’s injury is the first major one suffered by a quarterback in the NFL this year. The timing isn’t good because the Chargers have a virtually new cast of wide receivers, running backs and tight ends, and he won’t have much time to get in sync with them if he does manage to return for the start of the season.
The Chargers can only keep their fingers crossed and hope this isn’t the start of another star-crossed season.
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