Chargers' Jim Harbaugh Jokes He Heard 'Voices of Angels' with Justin Herbert's Return

It's safe to say Jim Harbaugh is relieved to have his starting quarterback back on the field.

The Los Angeles Chargers head coach joked that he "heard music" when Justin Herbert returned to practice on Monday after not seeing action since July.

"I felt like music should be playing. I thought I heard music," Harbaugh said. "Voices of angels maybe. It felt great. It felt great."

Before Monday, Herbert's last practice was July 31. He injured the plantar fascia in his right foot and has worn a walking boot for two weeks, recently shedding it and getting back on the practice field.

Herbert missed the last few weeks of the regular season in 2023 after suffering a finger injury in December. Before that injury, he had started 62 consecutive games dating back to his rookie season in 2020.

In 13 games last year, Herbert had 3,134 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. In his last full season in 2022, he collected 4,739 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, leading Los Angeles to a playoff appearance where it fell just short against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round.

The Chargers are coming off a disappointing 5-12 season that saw the firing of head coach Brandon Staley. They replaced Staley with Harbaugh after he won a national championship at Michigan, and they're hoping the new head coach plus a healthy Herbert will yield positive results this season.

Los Angeles opens its season with a matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8.