Justin Herbert: Ankle injury could be a lot worse

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert did not take part in practice on Wednesday because of a pair of injuries he picked up in last Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.

Herbert sprained his left ankle and suffered a thigh contusion, which meant he “didn’t feel great running out the pocket” against the Chargers’ divisional foe. On Wednesday Herbert said he “didn’t think I was able” to take full-speed reps in practice, so he sat out in hopes that the rest will help him get back to that point.

It is the second time that Herbert has dealt with an ankle injury this season and he said that this one “could be a lot worse” given how he felt after hurting his right one in Week Two.

“I would say that this one is probably not as severe,” Herbert said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. “It’s definitely painful enough to be able to miss a practice, but I feel like I’ve been able to move around a little bit better this week than I did after Carolina, where I was put into a boot and had difficulty walking.”

Herbert didn’t miss any game action because of the previous injury and the next couple of days should bring a better idea if there’s any real risk he’ll miss this weekend’s game against the Buccaneers.