Justin Herbert’s 2023 NFL season has officially come to an end. The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback will miss the remainder of the year after undergoing surgery on Tuesday to repair the fractured right index finger he suffered in Week 14, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert Won’t Play Again in 2023
Herbert injured his finger just before the end of the first half of the Chargers’ Sunday game against the Denver Broncos. He was hit by Broncos defensive tackle Zach Allen and immediately looked at his right hand. After Los Angeles’ offensive drive concluded, Herbert departed for the Chargers’ locker room and never returned.
Tuesday’s procedure indicated Herbert would need the next month to recover, but L.A. could have held him out of game action even if he’d been medically cleared to play.
#Chargers QB Justin Herbert injured his finger on this play and is questionable to return.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 10, 2023
The Chargers’ loss to the Broncos dropped them to 5-8 on the season. While Los Angeles hasn’t been officially eliminated from the AFC West or the Wild Card race, the club would have been a longshot to make noise even with Herbert in the lineup.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley suggested the Bolts would not risk Herbert’s health to close the season.
“Certainly there’s nothing more important than that, than (Herbert’s) right hand and his long-term future,” Staley said Monday. “He’s 25 years old. He’s got a really, really bright future in front of him. Every decision is going to be with that in mind.”
Herbert, the NFL’s second-highest-paid player at $52 million per season, will finish his fourth NFL campaign having completed 65.1% of his passes for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while ranking fifth in QBR (63.9).
Easton Stick will take over under center for the Chargers. L.A. selected Stick, a North Dakota State product, in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He’d attempted one pass heading into Sunday’s game and finished 13-of-24 for 179 scoreless yards this week.
Is Brandon Staley a Goner?
Staley’s seat was already on fire before Herbert went down for the rest of the year.
Sunday’s loss dropped the Chargers’ playoff chances below 5%, per ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI). Los Angeles was expected to compete for a Super Bowl title this season. Anything less than a postseason appearance — and potentially, a playoff win — would have likely been enough to get Staley fired.
MORE: NFL QB Power Rankings Week 15
Now, Staley is likely waiting for Black Friday for the other shoe to drop. Los Angeles went 9-8 in 2021, Staley’s first season at the helm, then made the postseason in 2022 after finishing 10-7. But the Chargers proceeded to blow the third-largest lead in NFL playoff history in a devastating Wild Card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Staley hired former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to revamp L.A.’s attack this offseason, but there hasn’t been much improvement. The Chargers rank 17th in offensive EPA per play through 14 weeks, one spot lower than they finished under ex-OC Joe Lombardi in 2022.
And Los Angeles’ defense — which is supposed to be Staley’s bread and butter — is a disaster. The Chargers have the sixth-worst defensive DVOA in the league and have allowed 5.6 yards per play, worse than all but three NFL defenses.
“I’m just focused on getting ready for Las Vegas,” Staley said this week, referencing the Chargers’ Thursday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders. “I have a team that’s hurting in there … I’m focused on doing my job well, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”
Could Staley be fired if the Chargers lose to the Raiders on TNF? Potentially, but there may not be any harm in allowing him to finish out the season.
Still, with the Raiders and Carolina Panthers having already fired their head coaches this year, Los Angeles may want to get a head start on its 2024 HC search.
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