NFL Injury Report: Justin Herbert’s Broken Finger Among Significant Week 14 Ailments

Justin Herbert fractured his finger in the Chargers 24-7 loss to the Broncos that effectively ended any hopes Los Angeles had for the playoffs. The team announced they’d have a timetable for his return in the coming days, but some national insiders are reporting he may be lost for the season.

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Easton Stick takes the reins on offense, but he doesn’t instill much confidence. In fact, Director of Predictive Analytics Sean Koerner estimates there is a 5.5-6 point swing going from Herbert to the untested Stick.

Herbert wasn’t the only star to go down as some of the league’s top playmakers exited and didn’t return. It was a particularly brutal day for the Texans, who lost C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins one week after Tank Dell suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Stroud is in concussion protocol after banging his head hard on the MetLife Stadium turf. The heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year led the league in passing yards as we entered the home stretch. Koerner projects a 5-point drop off from Stroud to backup Davis Mills.

Meanwhile, Collins injured his calf on the second snap of the game. He caught a 13-yard pass on the play, which put him over 1,000 yards on the year.

Justin Jefferson also suffered a scary chest injury in his first game since Week 5. He took a brutal hit hauling in a catch over the middle early in the second quarter, and was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.

Finally, Josh Jacobs suffered a knee injury late in Las Vegas’ 3-0 loss to the Vikings. He was in visible pain as he hobbled to the locker room. The Raiders didn’t have an update after the game, but even if he avoided a serious injury, he might face an uphill climb to play Thursday night on only three days rest. Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah are the next two running backs on Las Vegas’ depth chart.