Preseason football isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about what you can find out about your team. Jim Harbaugh should learn one thing about his team from Saturday night’s 16-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks: The backup quarterback position is a problem.
Most teams aren’t too worried about the backup spot. The Los Angeles Chargers were one of them. With a star in Justin Herbert, it seems they figured anyone who could lead the scout team in practice could take the job. But with Easton Stick having to take on a more prominent role, that job is under even more scrutiny.
Stick was not good against Seattle, completing just five of his 13 passes for 31 yards and throwing an interception. With Herbert recovering from a plantar fascia injury, this could soon become a major problem.
Chargers must intensively evaluate the position as backup QB
This should now be a completely wide open competition. There is hope that Herbert can play the full 17-game season, but a plantar fascia injury can be difficult to overcome and he will likely have to deal with it all season.
If there’s a chance another quarterback will have to get a spot start here and there, the Chargers will have to do better than Stick. Luis Perez, Max Duggan and Casey Bauman are also on the roster, but if none of them can easily surpass Stick in the pecking order, a trade for someone like Tyler Huntley or Taylor Heinicke will have to be considered.
The Chargers’ next preseason game is this Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
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