At face value, it frankly feels like a miracle that the Los Angeles Chargers are 8-4 and currently seeded at No. 6 in the AFC playoff picture. That’s what happens when the team is without both of its preseason starting offensive tackles — Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt — for the remainder of the year. It’s a credit to head coach Jim Harbaugh and starting quarterback Justin Herbert that they are still holding steady like this. And regarding Herbert, he’s really gutting it out for his team right now. Roughly a week ago, Herbert underwent surgery to fix his left non-throwing hand. Herbert has not missed a game with this injury and is expected to play Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it’s still fair to wonder whether the Chargers are risking their franchise quarterback, given the sorry state of their bruised and battered offensive line:Justin Herbert underwent successful surgery today in Los Angeles to stabilize a fracture in his left hand.Herbert’s return to play is considered day-to-day, and his status for next Monday’s game against Philadelphia will be determined later in the week.— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 2, 2025If there’s any consolation for the Chargers after this Eagles matchup, they’re not really going to play any elite pass rush until the closing weeks of the regular season, when they face the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos in back-to-back weeks. By then, though, Herbert should ideally be much healthier all around. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Justin Herbert injury update: Why did Chargers QB get surgery?