Will Justin Herbert's Foot Remain an Issue?

What They're Saying

Herbert: "It's not really on my mind right now. As long as we're out in front of it, I think it'll be all right."

Popper: "Justin Herbert said his plantar fascia injury did not happen in a specific moment. He said the soreness in his right foot developed over a period of time before he and Chargers opted for walking boot. Herbert said he did not recall exactly when he started feeling the soreness."

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

Players commonly play through plantar fasciitis, often without fans and fantasy players knowing whether it's limiting their performance at all.

We obviously can't know how much Herbert will be affected, or how likely the issue is to worsen during the season.

It's fair to expect some impact on the QB's mobility, though. Herbert hasn't been a big runner in the NFL, but has averaged 14.7 yards per game for his career -- including two seasons of 17.5+.

He rebounded in that category last year vs. a career-low 8.6 rushing yards per game in 2022.

The positive spin here is that Herbert has gone well outside QB1 range in 2024 drafting after the Chargers ditched their top two WRs and imported a historically run-heavy coaching staff.

So there should be little risk of Herbert wrecking your fantasy season, even if the foot proves to be an issue. If you haven't done so already, make sure you have QB insurance around him.

Other Winners & Losers

Chargers RBs could be slight winners on the receiving front. Perhaps Herbert opts for checkdown passes over scrambles at times because of the foot -- and there's a chance his coaches try to help manage things that way as well.

We're not adjusting RB receiving projections on those possibilities, of course. We'll see how things play out, though.

Injury History: New Developments & Historical Context

If it is merely plantar fasciitis that Herbert's dealing with, then he's likely to play through it while managing inflammation and pain during the season.