The Los Angeles Chargers have had a rough 2023 season and are teetering on the brink of playoff elimination in Week 16, a reality they will attempt to fend off without star quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert remains sidelined with an injury as Los Angeles has sputtered with losses in five of its last six games.
What Happened to Justin Herbert?
Herbert suffered a finger injury that has kept him sidelined ever since the Chargers’ 24-7 Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos. He took a shot from Broncos defensive tackle Zach Allen in the second quarter of the game and was spotted shaking his hand after the play.
#Chargers QB Justin Herbert injured his finger on this play and is questionable to return.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 10, 2023
He then jogged to Los Angeles’ locker room for further evaluation and was initially listed as questionable by the franchise, though the Chargers eventually ruled him out just before halftime.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley announced after the game that Herbert had suffered a fractured right index finger.
Herbert then underwent surgery on the finger two days later and reports surfaced that he would miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
The injury brought an end to a largely productive season for Herbert despite the Chargers’ team-wide struggles. He went 297 of 456 for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season, including one game with four touchdown passes and two others with three passing scores.
The injury also ended Herbert’s streak of starting all 17 games in each of Los Angeles’ last two seasons and an overall streak of 62 consecutive regular season starts.
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Easton Stick has since stepped in as the Chargers’ starting quarterback, though to less than ideal results.
He went 13 of 24 for 179 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions after relieving Herbert against the Broncos. Stick then completed 23 of 32 attempts for 257 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in last week’s 63-21 drubbing at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stick, a product of FCS program North Dakota State, is seeing the first meaningful NFL action of his career and will look to capitalize on it down the stretch of the regular season. Max Duggan, a rookie out of TCU, is the lone player behind him on the Chargers’ current quarterback depth chart.
It seems unlikely that Los Angeles would go away from Stick for the remainder of the season, given both who the team has behind him and its relative lack of reasons to be competitive down the stretch.
A win in Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills could help Los Angeles stay alive in the playoff race, but there are several scenarios where it could be eliminated with a loss this week.
Time will tell whether Stick can lead them to a win and keep their postseason hopes alive for the time being.
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