The Las Vegas Raiders are in for a very important season. They went all in on the risk of hiring Antonio Pierce, a guy who had never even been a coordinator before. So, this season has to show some sort of improvements on what he did with the same team last season, but only now a more improved roster on both sides of the ball.
One thing that should help — well, some league news that happened on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Chargers, along with their beat writers, reporters, national media, and anyone else in the football world, announced that their superstar quarterback Justin Herbert would miss some time as he was diagnosed with plantar fascia in his right foot, according to the team.
This, believe it or not, is big news for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders are set to open their 2024 season at home against the Chargers, who could very well have Easton Stick or Max Duggan starting for them at quarterback. That, changes everything, as the Chargers then become a much more beatable team, especially considering how the Raiders beat them down last season in one matchup, and nearly beat them in another with Josh McDaniels as the head coach.
Obviously things have now changed on the Chargers side of things. They have a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh, no more of their standout weapons they had last season, and they could possibly be without one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL in Week 1 in Justin Herbert.
“Doctors have recommended approximately two weeks in a boot — followed by a graduated return to play protocol — with the expectation that he will be ready for the start of the regular season,” the team wrote.
Herbert missing Week 1 could not only help the Raiders get off to a huge start in the 2024 season, but it could give them that early leg up in the division early on, too.