Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers slow to get up after a fumble in the first half of a NFL football game against there Jacksonville Jaguars at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers passes against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers passes against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars passes against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Linebacker Devin Lloyd #33 of the Jacksonville Jaguars intercepts a pass against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Jacksonville Jaguars recover a Los Angeles Chargers fumble in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Jacksonville Jaguars recover a Los Angeles Chargers fumble in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Linebacker Devin Lloyd #33 of the Jacksonville Jaguars intercepts a pass against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. #26 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts after knocking away a pass intended for wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the end zone in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Tight end Evan Engram #17 of the Jacksonville Jaguars catches a pass and runs for a first down against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars misses against catch against cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. #26 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Jamal Agnew #39 of the Jacksonville Jaguars catches a pass for a first down against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Zay Jones #7 of the Jacksonville Jaguars catches a pass for againstdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars passes against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches pass for touchdown against cornerback Tyson Campbell #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Joshua Palmer #5 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass and runs for first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Running back Sony Michel #20 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs for a first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. #26 of the Los Angeles Chargers knocks a pass away intended for wide receiver Christian Kirk #13 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the end zone in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars passes against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars catches a pass for afire down against linebacker Drue Tranquill #49 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars scrambles for first down against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars catches a pass for afire down against linebacker Drue Tranquill #49 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head coach Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars passes against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after catching a pass for touchdown against cornerback Tyson Campbell #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Tight end Gerald Everett #7 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass and runs for first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Head coach Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on again the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver DeAndre Carter #1 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass and is tackled by safety Rayshawn Jenkins #2 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Tight end Gerald Everett #7 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches pass and runs for as first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after catching a pass for touchdown against cornerback Tyson Campbell #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers stretches prior to a NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars scrambles against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Wide receiver Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after catching a pass for touchdown against cornerback Tyson Campbell #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Los Angeles Chargers fan shows off her sign prior to a NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. #26 of the Los Angeles Chargers rects after defending against wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in Inglewood on Sunday, September 25, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
INGLEWOOD – Should Justin Herbert have even tried to play Sunday?
He did, bad ribs and all, and it was not a good result. The Chargers were slapped around by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 38-10, and their franchise quarterback was on the field but was 25 for 45 passing for 297 yards, most of that while playing catch-up, with one touchdown but two turnovers (an interception and a fumble) and a 74.0 passer rating.
Worse, he looked ordinary way too often for a team that depends on him to be great.
The good – the very good, of which the Chargers’ franchise quarterback is so capable – was on display in brief bits, including a gorgeous 54-yard strike down the middle to Jalen Guyton on the first drive of the third quarter and a 45-yard bullet to Joshua Palmer at the very end of the third quarter.
Other times, he was shaky. Consider that immediately after the pass to Guyton that took the Chargers to the Jacksonville 26, Herbert threw the ball away on three straight downs in the red zone, partly because of coverage and partly because he had to escape pressure. If the ribs weren’t hurting, they seemed to be a consideration, at least.
Herbert’s availability was a subject of discussion all week, but it wasn’t nailed down until shortly before game time, coach Brandon Staley said.
“(We) communicated all the way up until this morning and he was awesome,” Staley said. “Our medical team was awesome. His agents, his team, we were together throughout the whole process and he did the best he could today.”
Staley seemed to be holding out hope all week, culminating in his referring to Herbert Friday as “day to day” as if he were a baseball player dealing with a balky hamstring as opposed to a generational talent who had suffered fractured rib cartilage the previous week while being battered by Kansas City.
There are several issues involved here. This isn’t a sport where there’s time for an early-season injury to heal. The 17 games of an NFL season are precious, each with outsized meaning, and if your franchise player feels he can play and is tough enough to do so, it’s hard to tell him “no, you need to sit this one out.” And a quarterback who will gut it out is respected immensely by teammates who deal with the same injury issues.
“It’s part of the game, dealing with injuries and dealing with pain,” Herbert said. “A lot of the guys in that locker room don’t feel great. And it’s all about how you react and how you respond. I’m going to do everything I can to go to treatment, take care of my body, so hopefully this thing will go away.”
But then there are times when a coach has to say no, to override his star in order to do what’s best for not only the team but for him.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Chargers: Who has the edge?
Instead, with a 38-10 deficit and 4:54 to play, Herbert went back out to the field with his teammates for what turned out to be their last possession of the day. The game was decided, the risk seemed immense, but this is how Staley described the decision – and it was a decision – to leave him in:
“He wanted to be out there with his teammates. He felt good and he wanted to finish the game, wanted to give our group some energy. And, you know, we were going to protect him there at the end, really sound protection as best we could. But it was more about him wanting to finish with his guys. … It’s hard to explain, but it was important for us to do it.”
It truly is hard to explain, because it really doesn’t make any sense. His teammates had to have understood what Herbert was going through, and what the risk might be. I can’t imagine any of them would have felt their leader was quitting on them to come out of the game at that point.
“I felt like I was safe out there,” Herbert said. “And I didn’t want to quit on the team.”
The player doesn’t always know best.
Maybe the bottom line should have been this, especially as the afternoon wore on and the Jaguars established their dominance: The Chargers could have lost Sunday afternoon just as easily with Chase Daniel, or Easton Stick, as they could have with Herbert. But if the injury is aggravated and Herbert is lost for a significant amount of time, what could be a potentially memorable season might instead go underwater.
After what figured to be a get-right game instead developed into a rousing victory for Jacksonville, this season has gotten more interesting – and perhaps a lot more concerning – for those who care about the Chargers. They face road games the next two weeks at Houston (now 0-2-1 after losing to the Bears on an end-of-game field goal by Cairo Santos) and at Cleveland (2-1 after smacking Pittsburgh Thursday) and then welcome Russell Wilson and the Broncos to SoFi Stadium. They could be 2-4, or 1-5 at the end of that stretch.
And how they manage their quarterback’s health is going to be critical, because as Staley put it Sunday afternoon: “This injury is going to be there for a while. If you guys know the injury, it’s not like it’s going to feel better next week or the week after that … He felt good today. And we’re going to continue to manage it as best we can.”
So at what point does he step in and tell Herbert he needs to back off?
“I’m sure there will be a point,” he said. “I hope we don’t get into a game like this (again). But I’m sure that there definitely would be a point where we would do that, and when that time comes, we’ll make the decision.”
