Justin Herbert injury update ahead of Los Angeles Chargers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert dealing with a sprained left ankle and a thigh injury sustained against Kansas City Chiefs that kept him out of practice on Wednesday. Herbert gave an injury update as the Chargers prepare for Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.

“If I felt like I could have practiced 100 percent and made sure everyone was getting the rep at full speed, I definitely would have,” Herbert said. “I didn’t think I could do it, the coaches didn’t think I could do it today. So we were all on the same page with it.”

First The Oregon Duck quarterback Herbert was wearing a sleeve on his left leg Wednesday. Herbert has dealt with a slew of injuries this season, including a right ankle injury in Week 2 of the NFL season. He didn’t miss a game with that “could be a lot worse” injury, given how he felt after injuring his right in week two.

“I would say this one is probably not as severe,” Herbert said. “It’s definitely painful enough to be able to miss practice, but I felt like I was able to move a little bit better this week than after Carolina, where I was put in a boot and had trouble walking. I think we’re further along this week.”

The Chargers NFL playoff chances are still good despite dropping to 8-5 with a loss to the Chiefs on Sunday. A win against the Bucs this Sunday wouldn’t guarantee a playoff spot, but it would help the Chargers’ playoff chances. LA is currently 6th in the AFC, holding the tiebreaker over Denver Broncos and they probably need 10 wins to make the postseason.

“It’s really day-to-day and how I feel,” Herbert said of his availability against Tampa Bay.

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Tampa Bay’s biggest player is also a former Oregon Duck in rookie round Bucky Irving. Irving was also unable to practice Wednesday due to hip and back injuries. Irving sat out his team’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles gave an injury update on Irving on Monday.

“It’s tight. We have to see how he feels,” Bowles said. “If we can loosen it up, it should be good. If not, we’ll see how the week goes.”

The Buccaneers lead the NFC South with a 7-6 record. If the Buccaneers win as many times as division foe Atlanta wins over the next four weeks, Tampa Bay will win the division and likely clinch the No. 4 seed in the NFC.

The Chargers and Buccaneers face off on Sunday, December 15th at 1:25pm PT at Sofi Stadium.