EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — After returning to practice on a limited basis Monday, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert energized the team by participating in 11-on-11 periods during Tuesday’s practice.
Herbert frequently targeted Quentin Johnston and Brendan Rice throughout the day and had a standout throw to Josh Palmer.
Herbert, who has been in a walking boot for the past two weeks with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, flipped to his left without any restrictions and threw a downward pass to Palmer over the outstretched arms of two defenders. He also delivered a nice pass to Brendan Rice over the shoulder during another stretch of practice.
“It’s a big difference for sure… you can feel it. You can feel it, just the way he handles the ball is different. Everything is different. He controls the ball. So I’m happy to have him back playing,” said midfielder Asante Samuel Junior.
When Herbert returned Monday, coach Jim Harbaugh said, “There must have been music; I thought I heard music, maybe the voices of angels.”
Samuel agreed, as did offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
“There was something, I don’t know if it was angels, but there was a silhouette of the sun, I can’t explain it,” Roman said with a smile. “There was a moment, and maybe I heard it too. Maybe I heard it too.”
Herbert was diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot after a Chargers practice on July 31. That day, Herbert ran for a touchdown and showed no signs of pain. Harbaugh declined to provide details on when the injury occurred, referring to a team statement that said the Chargers expect Herbert to be ready to play in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8.
During the two weeks that Herbert has been sidelined, the Chargers’ offense has been terrible. In practice, the defense has been consistently dominant, securing interceptions and forcing passing errors. The Chargers have yet to score a touchdown in two preseason games.
General manager Joe Hortiz also made a major shakeup of the quarterback room at the time, trading away linebackers Max Duggan and Casey Bowman and signing former NFL quarterback Luis Perez. Easton Stick, who is in his sixth season in the NFL, and Perez are the backups behind Herbert.
When the Chargers signed Perez on Aug. 6, Harbaugh didn’t hesitate to talk about the reasons behind the decision.
“I thought Easton didn’t have any competition,” Harbaugh said. “There was enough competition at that position. The only way to get better is to create competition at that position. So I have a message for Max and Casey: ‘We have to step up our game.’”
In two games, Stick has completed 13 of 26 attempts with 116 passing yards and two interceptions. Perez has completed 18 of 32 attempts with 139 passing yards. The Chargers play their final preseason game against the Cowboys on Aug. 24.
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