Justin Herbert Injury Is 'Fracture' To Rib Cartilage

Justin Herbert has "a fracture" to his rib cartilage, Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley told reporters Friday afternoon so his status for the team's next game Sept. 25 is uncertain.

"He's day-to-day," Staley said.

The Chargers obviously don't play this weekend after losing Thursday night's game to the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-24, so they will assess Herbert's ability to practice next week.

The news comes after X-Rays taken in Kansas City were negative. But those tests were meant merely to see if Herbert suffered a fractured bones in a rib or ribs.

Instead, an MRI and other exams revealed Friday there is a fracture but to the cartilage.

"Good news better than having a fracture to the bone," Staley said.

While the hope within the team is Herbert could be ready for the team's home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in nine days, a rib cartilage injury can take as much as 3-4 weeks to heal, a source told OutKick Thursday night.

Staley said after Thursday's loss to the Chiefs that Herbert was "OK."

Today's tests show that's more or less correct.

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Armando Salguero is a national award-winning columnist and is OutKick's Senior NFL Writer. He has covered the NFL since 1990 and is a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a voter for the Associated Press All-Pro Team and Awards. Salguero, selected a top 10 columnist by the APSE, has worked for the Miami Herald, Miami News, Palm Beach Post and ESPN as a national reporter. He has also hosted morning drive radio shows in South Florida.