Chargers QB Justin Herbert has fracture in rib cartilage; Considered day-to-day

[RaidersAreOne]

 

[kingseanjohn]

From one source:

Quote

The usual time taken for complete recovery from a Rib Cartilage Injury is approximately three to four months because the cartilages take quite a bit of time to heal since the blood supply to them is hindered. Refraining from strenuous activities and taking adequate rest can speed up the healing time.

 

[y*so*blu]

Glad it's not fully broken ribs or internal damage. He was in obvious pain Thursday.

[Sad People]

So he will be dealing with this the entire year.

[Jakuvious]

36 minutes ago, kingseanjohn said:

Refraining from strenuous activities and taking adequate rest can speed up the healing time.

That ain't gonna happen.

[Mid Iowa]

36 minutes ago, mattyice0401 said:

So he will be dealing with this the entire year.

Week 3 - Injection
Week 4 - Injection
Wash, rinse, repeat, and don't let the doctor puncture your lung with the needle.

[Broncofan]

Thought it was a cartilage injury, made too much sense on how things went down last night. 

So the "cartilage fracture" is really important, because it means the bones aren't fractured.   If the bone is fractured and it's displaced, then he can't play for sure until it's healed, up to 6 weeks - but that's less likely.  If the bone fracture is non-displaced, then there's a much shorter timeline.  That was possible.

But if this a pure fracture of the cartilage only - then it's ALL about pain tolerance.  There's no risk of lung puncture, etc.  And yes, it can take 6-8 weeks, or even 3 months, before a player says it feels normal.    But the time to return can be as little as 7-10 days.   It's all about pain tolerance.  But it's not all good news -  it hurts just to breathe - because the cartilage moves with every breath.  That's what we saw last night, why I mentioned that it looked that way.  So this is something he's going to have to manage for weeks and likely months.   He can definitely play once the pain is manageable, but how long it takes is the Q mark. 

Expect rest for now, and then anti-inflammatory meds like crazy (and the strongest ones used on game day - Ketorolac (Toradol)), and a nerve block used to dull the pain sensation (and not just on game day, but to help him recover, and even light exercise/return to practice).    Players have come back in as little as 1 week, while others it takes 2-3 weeks.   But this will linger for 2-3 months on average - and yes, he can likely play at a high level through most of this.

I would, however suggest maybe the Chargers find a different doc than the one who did Tyrod Taylor's nerve block in 2020.    Kinda ironic we're coming back full circle on this - that’s what started Herbert’s career as a starting QB. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by Broncofan

[D82]

Pssh...Tony Romo played with broken ribs. He'll be fine. 

[Ty21]

He was favoring it and his hammy. I thought double instantaneous injuries were exclusive to Carson Wentz. 

[NudeTayne]

2 hours ago, Mid Iowa said:

Week 3 - Injection
Week 4 - Injection
Wash, rinse, repeat, and don't let the doctor puncture your lung with the needle.

[Xenos]

3 hours ago, kingseanjohn said:

From one source:

 

I was going to say. How is this day to day?

[LeotheLion]

This is what Akers and Donald had in 2020. Donald played the next week but was maybe 50% of himself. 

Would think it's easier for a QB but he's going to have to be a warrior for the next 2 months. 

[Malik]

Jaguars, Texans, and Browns are the next 3 games. Those are winnable games with Chase Daniel no?

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

7 hours ago, Mid Iowa said:

Week 3 - Injection
Week 4 - Injection
Wash, rinse, repeat, and don't let the doctor puncture your lung with the needle.

Thankfully the Chargers medical staff has a great track history with this kind of thing

[Nabbs4u]

Curious if Herbert will be wearing one of those Cam Newton flak jacket body suits he used to wear??

Edited September 17, 2022 by Nabbs4u