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 on the sidelines in a walking boot for two weeks, though at the time of the 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 what it was like to see his starter back under center. “It felt like music should be playing, I thought I heard music, voices of angels maybe. It felt great.”
Harbaugh has been steadfast, throughout the injury process, that Herbert wouldn’t miss a beat in adapting to a new offense, saying last month that it was still “full steam ahead” without him.
“The preparation, the work continues,” he said at the time. “He’s not on the field, in practice, but in the meeting room, still in the training environment, that chemistry that rapport you build with those position players, with his teammates, that continues.”
Herbert moved without any limitation through the first week of 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 went 4-of-7 for 41 yards in the defeat — was waived on Monday.
On Monday, Herbert did not do any work in full-team situations, but got plenty of snaps during 7-on-7 drills, with Harbaugh adding that “he looked great with a capital G. No drop-off, pinpoint accuracy. He looked really good.”
Herbert has been one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL through his first four seasons. He started 62 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak by a quarterback, before a fracture to his right index finger in Week 14 last year ended his season. Stick went winless in the Chargers’ final four games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.