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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is one of the several young star quarterbacks in the AFC, so an offseason surgery can be a worrisome development of his short-term and long-term future.
While Herbert underperformed expectations in fantasy, he still finished second in the NFL with 4,749 passing yards. He threw only 25 passing touchdowns, but touchdown variance can happen to any signal-caller and he was without one or both of his top pass-catcher for much of the season. That said, the 2022 season is in the rear-view mirror, so let's talk about next year.
Is Herbert healthy or injured and will he be ready by training camp heading into his fourth year as a pro? Let's find out.
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Herbert (shoulder) underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder on Wednesday, according to an announcement from the team. Herbert battled injuries all season, including picking up an upper-body injury on a big hit in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team expects him to be cleared in time for their offseason program.
However it's early in the process so NFL fans and fantasy managers should look out for further updates on the emerging star's injury. Setbacks can and often do happen.
Justin Herbert 2023 Fantasy Outlook
Outside of Herbert, left tackle Rashawn Slater and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are arguably the most important pieces of the Chargers' offensive attack. Slater, Allen, and Williams missed a combined 25 games in 2022. Despite this, Herbert finished the year second in passing yards, only behind Patrick Mahomes.
With those three guys healthy for most of the year, his fantasy season almost certainly would've yielded better results than the QB12 overall. The team will likely add more offensive line and wide receiver help, so Herbert could be back to a top-five option in 2023.
The Chargers hired former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to run their offense, and while it's important not to overrate the play-caller's effect on fantasy football outlooks, it is a promising sign. The Cowboys have been a top-five offense in each of the last two seasons and Dallas had a fast pace-of-play, just like L.A. Assuming Herbert is fully ready to go, his elite ceiling should return in 2023. If your league mates are fading him due to his 2022 numbers, take advantage and draft him.
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