Justin Herbert’s latest injury should make NFL decision an easy one

Justin Herbert suffered a shoulder injury against Oregon State that should make him think long about his NFL future.

The potential No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft suffered a shoulder injury that will make Oregon’s Justin Herbert future with the Ducks come into question.

Herbert was sacked late in the first half and appeared to grab his shoulder. He was removed from the game and was seen on street clothes in the second half, signaling his afternoon was over early.

Could his college career be over too?

The extent of Herbert’s injury is unknown but it could be a career-ending injury for the Oregon quarterback who may elect to declare for the NFL Draft at season’s end. A report in October from CBS’ Jason La Canfora suggested Herbert would be returning to school for his senior year.

Herbert suffered a broken collarbone last year as a sophomore and now this shoulder injury could have Herbert thinking about returning to school and the potential of suffering another big injury. Herbert and his family may be thinking about leaving school and declaring for the Draft where he could be the first quarterback taken.

In what’s being described as a down year for quarterback prospects, the 6-foot-6 Herbert could be the best of the group. The decision for Herbert comes down to whether he wants to risk another injury while playing for free and jeopardize his future earning potential for the sake of helping the Ducks chase a Pac-12 title.

The decision for those not in Herbert’s shoes sounds like a no-brainer.

Why risk another injury that could threaten your NFL future when you can be a potential top-five pick?

But Herbert is a Eugene, Oregon native who clearly loves his school, teammates and coaches and everything that comes with playing for the Ducks.

Herbert’s decision won’t be made without given a tremendous amount of thought and won’t be taken lightly, but the latest injury could ultimately make his decision an easy one to leave school and avoid the risk of another injury.