The Los Angeles Chargers face an anxious wait to discover the full extent of Justin Herbert’s finger injury after the quarterback was forced out on Sunday afternoon.
The Chargers fell to their eighth loss of the season at the hands of the Houston Texans, who stormed to a 44-22 victory at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood.
It marked the latest miserable outing for Jim Harbaugh’s side, who are yet to record a win during the current season.
To make matters worse, star quarterback Herbert was forced out late in the game after appearing to suffer a finger injury.
Following the brutal home defeat, head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed the medical staff are still evaluating the injury but admitted the initial outlook is concerning.
‘Could be a fracture, we’ll find out,’ Harbaugh told reporters, noting that the coaching staff held the franchise quarterback out even though he desperately wanted to return.
Justin Herbert was forced out during the Chargers’ defeat to the Houston Texans on Sunday
Jim Harbaugh admitted that there are concerns Herbert has fractured his finger
Addressing the media during his postgame press conference, Herbert promised to attack his recovery, insisting he will do ‘whatever I can to make sure I’m 100 percent.’
Before exiting the contest, the veteran quarterback endured a torrid afternoon, throwing for just 193 yards and an interception while absorbing a brutal career-high eight sacks.
With Herbert sidelined, rookie backup DJ Uiagalelei stepped onto the field to make his official NFL debut during the dying moments of the fourth quarter.
The undrafted free agent out of Florida State immediately provided a small silver lining for the struggling franchise, tossing a touchdown pass on his very first offensive drive.
Uiagalelei finished the 44-22 blowout completing two of his seven pass attempts for 24 yards and a single score in relief of the injured starter.
The 23-year-old was only promoted to the active Los Angeles roster in September after primary backup Trey Lance was unceremoniously placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
If Herbert’s finger injury requires a lengthy absence, Harbaugh will be forced to hand the starting keys to Uiagalelei as the winless Chargers desperately search for a spark.
