Just when the Los Angeles Chargers they could sail to a smooth divisional win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13 of the NFL, chaos broke loose. Justin Herbert briefly exited the game, with backup quarterback Trey Lance taking over under center for the Bolts. As he returned to the gridiron at SoFi Stadium, Herbert was wearing a glove on his left hand.
The Chargers face off against the Raiders in a crucial AFC West matchup in the 2025 NFL season. With the Kansas City Chiefs losing and the Denver Broncos set to take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football, Los Angeles could really use a win to put the pressure on their divisional foes. However, it can never be stress-free for the franchise in the City of Angels.
As reported by the Chargers on their official X account (@chargers), Justin Herbert was questionable to return to the game with a left hand injury. However, after missing a couple of snaps, the Oregon product returned with a glove on his left hand.
Why is Herbert wearing a glove on his left hand?
As shown on the TV broadcast, Herbert had dislocated the ring finger on his left hand. By wearing the flashy white glove, the Chargers’ medical staff hope to keep the franchise quarterback out of harm’s way.
Fortunately for Herbert and the Chargers, his injury was on the left hand—his non-throwing hand. If Herbert had injured a finger on his right hand, then it could’ve spelled worse news for the Bolts, who are trying to sweep the season series against the Raiders.
In his first drive after returning from the locker room, Herbert led the team down the field with clinical passes. However, Herbert rolled the dice on a third-and-goal play, which came back to bite him and Los Angeles. A risky throw intended for Ladd McConkey led to an interception which wiped away all the progress made by Herbert and the Chargers.