Chargers’ Easton Stick is running out of chances to prove he can be Justin Herbert’s backup (2024)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It might not matter. By winter, it might be an afterthought, one of those preseason storylines that felt oh-so-important in the moment but faded once the real football was played.

Or it could be what defines the Los Angeles Chargers’ 2024 season, Jim Harbaugh’s first at the helm.

That is the nature of the backup quarterback in the NFL.

Whatever happens down the road, the question must be asked right now: Can the Chargers rely on Easton Stick to back up Justin Herbert this season?

After the Chargers’ 13-9 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, the answer appears like a pretty convincing “No.”

Stick struggled again in his second straight preseason start. He completed 8-of-13 passes for 85 yards and added 22 rushing yards on five carries. Most notably, he fumbled a snap at the Rams’ 1-yard line and threw an interception inside Rams territory on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter.

Jaylen McCollough comes down with the tip drill interception!

📱: Stream #LARvsLAC on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sID7JHhuf3

— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2024

Stick now has three turnovers in his two starts. He has thrown at least 10 interceptions in team drills during training camp practices.

He showed some promise down the stretch of last season when he started four games in place of Herbert, who was sitting out with a fractured finger.

This summer, Stick has regressed at a jarring rate.

And that regression, rather importantly, has come with Herbert sidelined again. Herbert has not practiced since July 31 while dealing with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot. He is making progress in his return from the injury. Herbert had been in a walking boot for two weeks. On Thursday, he appeared on the practice field without a walking boot for the first time in front of the media. On Saturday at SoFi Stadium, he was on the field for warmups without the walking boot on. He threw lightly during warmups, and he was also throwing on the sideline during the game.

After the loss, Harbaugh said Herbert is still on track to play in the Chargers’ regular-season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8.

Looming, always, is the possibility that Herbert has a setback with a notoriously fickle foot injury. And, in turn, the possibility that Stick is called up to start games for the 2024 Chargers.

When asked after the game Saturday if Herbert’s injury changes the team’s approach to the backup quarterback spot, Harbaugh shook his head and said, “No.”

When asked why not, Harbaugh said, “Why would it? We have one of the best starting quarterbacks in the world, and the next quarterback would be under the same expectations as if Justin was (healthy). … We’d still want to see the same type of performance and improvement.”

Stick did not light the league aflame when he took over as the starter for the final four games of 2023. But he was serviceable. The blowout Raiders loss was a disaster for many reasons out of Stick’s control. For one, the general manager and coach were fired the next day. The Chargers lost the final three games by a combined 10 points. Stick did what a backup quarterback is supposed to do: keep the boat afloat, and give the team a chance.

The numbers bear this out. Stick ranked 32nd in EPA per dropback among quarterbacks with at least 175 dropbacks last season, according to TruMedia. He was just behind Joe Flacco (29th) and Joshua Dobbs (30th). Flacco is the backup for the Indianapolis Colts this season. Dobbs is competing for the San Francisco 49ers’ backup job this season.

Stick was ahead of Sam Howell (33rd), Kenny Pickett (34th), Deshaun Watson (35th), Mac Jones (36th), Bryce Young (37th) and Daniel Jones (38th). Howell is a backup with the Seattle Seahawks for this season. Pickett is a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mac Jones is a backup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Watson, Young and Daniel Jones are all starting this season for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants, respectively.

New general manager Joe Hortiz and Harbaugh decided to re-sign Stick in the offseason. And the process was understandable. Stick showed enough to fill the backup role in 2024 — especially at his price of $2.67 million.

What Hortiz and Harbaugh did not anticipate was this major step back.

Or multiple steps back. That is what this summer has been for Stick: steps forward marred by steps backward. That continued Saturday.

Five plays before Stick dropped the snap at the 1-yard line, he found rookie receiver Ladd McConkey for a third-down conversion. Stick was on time. He made a strong throw to the far sideline with accuracy and velocity. The fumbled snap then took points off the board in a tight game. The Chargers still have not scored a touchdown this preseason.

“It was a good snap, hit my hands, and dropped it,” Stick said.

On the play before the interception, Stick made one of his best throws of the summer, practice or game. Receiver Simi Fehoko — who led the Chargers with 52 receiving yards — ran an out route on a third-and-8. He was covered tightly by Rams defensive back Jaylen McCollough. Stick, again, was on time. Stick, again, threw with accuracy and velocity.

On the next snap, Fehoko was wide open over the middle. Stick had some pressure coming off his left side from Rams defensive back Charles Woods. Stick had time to reset his feet and hit Fehoko. Instead, he threw from a wonky base, with his feet spread apart. The ball sailed behind Fehoko and off the receiver’s hands. McCullough came down with the tipped ball, and the Rams took over at their 26-yard line.

“Obviously, if you’re the quarterback, you can’t throw interceptions in the red zone or fumble snaps,” Harbaugh said. “He knows that. Yeah, I expect that to be front of mind at all times with the quarterback.”

Tip drill ‼️ Jaylen McCollough makes the play ‼️

📺 @ABC7 | 📲 https://t.co/4beUdm4vkg pic.twitter.com/ZeNl7ZD2G4

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 18, 2024

Stick has the worst EPA per dropback of any quarterback so far this preseason, according to TruMedia. His EPA per dropback has been six times worse this preseason than it was during the 2023 regular season.

Luis Perez replaced Stick for the second half and went 13-of-20 passing for 75 yards. He also lost a fumble. Third-stringer Max Duggan did not play a snap.

The answer is not behind Stick, either.

Stick will start next week in the preseason finale at the Dallas Cowboys, according to Harbaugh.

“I would like to see another week of improvement from Easton that I saw this week,” Harbaugh said.

What are the alternatives? Taylor Heinicke is third string in Atlanta. P.J. Walker is third string in Seattle. Zach Wilson is third string in Denver. Tyler Huntley and Dorian Thompson-Robinson are battling for third string in Cleveland. Huntley started eight games while playing for now Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman in Baltimore. Dobbs and Brandon Allen are battling for second string in San Francisco. Ryan Tannehill is a free agent, but his asking price might be a non-starter.

The Chargers could be proactive and try to pry one of these quarterbacks away before roster cutdown day, Aug. 27, with draft capital. The likelier scenario is they wait until cuts happen and address the position on the waiver wire.

That is if they believe Stick is not the answer.

One thing has become clear under Harbaugh and Hortiz: This regime will not be nearly as patient with underperformance.

“In this league, the margins are so small,” Stick said. “You can’t drop a snap at the 1-yard line, can’t have tipped balls, can’t have penalties, all that stuff. It adds up.”

Stick was talking about the loss Saturday.

He could have been talking about his Chargers future.

(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)

Daniel Popper is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Jacksonville Jaguars for The Athletic after following the New York Jets for the New York Daily News, where he spent three years writing, reporting and podcasting about local pro sports. Follow Daniel on Twitter @danielrpopper