The Los Angeles Chargers’ strong start came to a sudden halt last Sunday, up against the Steelers’ might. Perhaps even more worryingly, the game saw quarterback Justin Herbert limp off the field, young Heinicke taking his place. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see much of Heinicke on the field; he threw two passes, averaging 12-yards. Honestly, the game was something of a mass casualty event for the Chargers. Besides Herbert, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater went down too, with a knee injury and a pectoral injury, respectively.

Given this particular state of affairs, is it advisable for Herbert to make a return to the field? The next game against the Kansas City Chiefs is going to be a big one. The Chiefs have gone undefeated 3-0 so far this year, but none of the wins have been overwhelming. Having suffered 5 straight losses against them, this ‘off-balance’ Chiefs’ side could allow the Chargers to turn things around. NFL Insider Adam Schefter’s take on the affair is that it would be highly inadvisable for Herbert to play. He acknowledges that the quarterback’s played through torn labrums, fractured ribs, and broken fingers, Herbert’s clearly “tough.” But it’s a question of being able to keep himself safe.

The high ankle sprain isn’t actually a fresh injury, the Steelers game merely aggravated a lighter sprain he’d picked up in the week 1 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. And Schefter acknowledges that Herbert’s always been careful about staying injury free, but things have changed now. With Alt and Slater, their offensive tackles, out for the count, the offensive line’s in pieces. Offensive coordinator Gary Roman has said “all options are in play,” without specifying who’s going to fill in for them. But at the end of the day, Herbert simply doesn’t have enough protection on him to return. At least not till that ankle’s better.

Skipping out on this game would let Herbert recuperate through Bye-week as well. He wouldn’t see game-time clear through to mid-October, in time for the Denver Broncos game. The downside, of course, is how important a win or loss at this stage is to the Los Angeles Chargers‘ momentum. A loss would set them back to 2-2, where a win would put them at a fighting 3-1. In a game that’s often all about mindset, that matters. They’d also be humbling the Kansas City Chiefs, who are unbeaten so far in the season. But is it impossible for them to pull it off without Justin Herbert at the helm?

Can Heinicke lead the Chargers to a Chiefs upset?

At 31-years-old, you’d have expected Taylor Heinicke to have had more game time by now. He’s played only 40 games in 10 seasons, almost half of them in 2021 for the Washington Commanders. That was the year he replaced an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. That’s been a trend through his NFL career. His NFL debut for the Houston Texans in 2017 saw him step in for a potentially concussed T.J. Yates, attempt and complete one pass, then have to walk off himself after suffering a concussion.

Could Justin Herbert’s high ankle sprain be his big break? Well, with the starting quarterback listed as a limited participant for Sunday, it’s too early to tell. He’s clearly a competent quarterback, just one who’s not had the chance to shine yet. His one near-full season with the Commanders saw him throw 3419 yards and score 21 touchdowns in 16 games, not bad at all. Not to mention his college career, near 15,000 yards in 46 games, and 154 touchdowns. Of course, some of that’s so far back its ancient history.

But he’s got the potential to clinch it for the Chargers. Mahomes and his Chiefs can’t rest easy just yet.