Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert returned to practice Monday, participating for the first time since being diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot on July 31.
Herbert had been sidelined in a walking boot for two weeks, though at the time of his diagnosis he was expected to be ready for Week 1, the team said, after completing a “gradual return-to-play protocol” process.
“It felt great,” coach Jim Harbaugh said when asked how it felt to see his starter back at center. “I thought I should be hearing music, I thought I heard music, maybe angel voices. It felt great.”
Harbaugh has been adamant throughout the injury process that Herbert would not miss a beat to adapt to a new offense, saying last month that they were still “full steam ahead” without him.
“The preparation, the work continues,” he said at the time. “It's not on the field, in practice, but in the meeting room, in the training environment, that chemistry that is created with those position players, with their teammates, continues.”
Herbert moved around without any limitations during the first week of training camp, but then gave way to Easton Stick, Max Duggan and Luis Perez. In a 13-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, Stick and Perez combined to throw for 160 yards and no touchdowns, and Stick was intercepted once. Max Duggan, who played in the preseason opener, a 16-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and completed 4 of 7 passes for 41 yards in the loss, was waived Monday.
Herbert didn't work in full-team situations on Monday but got plenty of snaps during 7-on-7 drills, with Harbaugh adding that he “looked great with a capital G. No sloppiness, pinpoint accuracy. He looked really good.”
Herbert has been one of the NFL's most durable quarterbacks through his first four seasons. He started 62 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak by a quarterback, before a broken right index finger in Week 14 last year ended his season. Stick was winless in the Chargers' final four games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
