With quarterback Justin Herbert at the helm, the Los Angeles Chargers suffered a surprising 20-16 defeat to the Houston Texans in Week 17, which ended their division title hopes.
This negative result raised considerable doubts about the starting quarterback’s presence in the regular season finale against the Denver Broncos, especially since the team had secured a playoff spot. However, in the last few hours, this doubt has been dispelled by Jim Harbaugh.
Justin Herbert Will Rest and Not Face the Denver Broncos
According to the Chargers’ head coach, the starting quarterback will be rested due to lingering pain from a fracture in his left hand that occurred this month. Even though Herbert, who ranks No. 11 in the PFSN QB Impact metric with a C+ grade, is medically cleared to play, the decision to rest him was made to increase his chances of optimal performance in the playoffs, prioritizing long-term team success over short-term participation.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the Broncos will have their starting players available, as they battle the New England Patriots for first place in the AFC.
Given this decision, even though they still need a win to secure the No. 5 seed (with adverse results potentially leaving the Chargers with the No. 6 or No. 7 seeds), it has already been decided that backup Trey Lance will be the QB against the Broncos and will try to lead the team to the best possible position in the playoffs.
A win over the Broncos will secure the number 5 spot. If Denver loses, they need the Texans to lose to the Colts. The Chargers could also land sixth, most likely if they beat the Broncos and the Bills lose to the Jets.
Given Herbert’s absence and likely defeat, Chargers fans may expect a seventh-place finish: a loss, plus a Bills win over the Jets, would set up an away game against the current second seed, the Patriots. The veteran QB signed a five-year, $262.5 million contract with $218.7 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $52.5 million.
Looking back at Herbert’s performance, selected for his second Pro Bowl, he racked up 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 66.4% completion rate in his sixth full season in the NFL, in addition to rushing for a career-high 498 yards and rushing touchdowns.
On the other hand, the 54 sacks suffered so far in the regular season made clear the defensive inefficiency in protecting the QB.
Furthermore, in the second consecutive season in which the Chargers finished with at least 11 wins before the playoffs, fans had high expectations for a long postseason run. However, in the 2024-25 season, Los Angeles was eliminated in the Wild Card round by the Texans.
