Easton Stick – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Chargers QB Justin Herbert suffers plantar fascia injury, expected to be ready for start of regular season

Justin Herbert suffered the injury following Wednesday’s practice.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, the team announced on Thursday.

The injury occurred during Wednesday’s practice.

Doctors have recommended approximately two weeks in a boot followed by a graduated return to play protocol.

The team expects Herbert to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Even though Herbert is expected to be ready by Week 1 against the Raiders, missing this time is crucial because it’s lost time on getting him acclimated to the new offense.

It’s important that the team is cautious with his recovery since this injury is painful and could worsen if it’s not managed properly.

With Herbert expected to be sidelined likely for the remainder of the summer, Easton Stick will get most of the reps with the first-team offense.

We will continue to update you on Herbert’s status.

Justin Herbert on quarterbacks coach Shane Day’s return: ‘I thought he was best for that position’

Justin Herbert thinks highly of Shane Day.

Justin Herbert spoke to the media for the first time since the rehiring of quarterbacks coach Shane Day. Herbert would confirm that he was asked about the vacant position under Jim Harbaugh’s staff before Day’s return:

He’s an incredible coach. He’s done such a great job for this quarterback room. And the relationship that he has with Easton (Stick) and I, and now with Max (Duggan) and Casey (Bauman), he’s done a great job of just picking up and moving right where we left off. Obviously, tough losing him for a year. But when the question came up who I thought was best for that position, Shane was the number one guy and I’m really glad to be working with him again.

Day and former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi were fired from Brandon Staley’s staff. While that was likely an attempt to get the best possible offensive coordinator available with Staley being on the hot seat at the time, it’s telling that Herbert had the urge to work with Day again after not having him on staff last season.

2023 offensive coordinator Kellen Moore brought in quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier with him to Los Angeles last offseason. One year later, both are paired in the same package deal with the Eagles.

Time will tell if the Chargers can have a consistent offensive coaching staff under Harbaugh in the future, but it’s certainly a positive start that he has a good working relationship with Day in the future.

Projecting the Chargers’ quarterback depth chart in 2024

Predicting who will make up the Chargers’ quarterback room entering the 2024 season.

Over the next month, ahead of training camp, I will break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

First, I project what the quarterback room will look like heading into the 2024 season.

QB1: Justin Herbert

Herbert suffered a finger injury that cost him the final four games of last season. But he should return to form, even with a new scheme, which is expected to be predicated on running the ball.

Despite the new offensive approach, Herbert is one of the most prolific passers in the NFL, and I expect the coaching staff to still play to his strengths by using his arm to distribute the wealth.

Additionally, Herbert has his quarterbacks coach back in Shane Day, who Herbert had a lot of success under in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

As long as Herbert is under center, the sky is the limit for the Chargers.

QB2: Easton Stick

The Chargers re-signed Stick to serve as Herbert’s backup.

Stick had served as the backup with zero experience as a starter until this past season when Herbert was sidelined with his finger injury.

Stick went on to start the final four games and finished with 1,129 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while adding 144 rushing yards and a score on 27 carries.

Misses the cut: Max Duggan

Duggan was drafted in the seventh round last year, yet he still ended up on the practice squad. I see that as the likely scenario again.

Check out photos, videos from Chargers’ first day of OTAs

The Chargers are back in action, as Monday marked the first day of organized team activities (OTAs).

The Chargers are back in action, as Monday marked the first day of organized team activities (OTAs). The team was able to run drills without pads or contact.

This marked the first time that head coach Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the new coaching staff came together on the field with all the players, both returning and fresh faces.

To get a feel of what went down at Hoag Performance Center in Costa Mesa, CA, here’s a compilation of photos courtesy of USA Today Sports’ Kirby Lee and video from the team’s official Twitter.

🔟/🔟 pic.twitter.com/36Bngvz9Ab

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 20, 2024

Senior offensive assistant coach Marc Trestman

Quarterbacks coach Shane Day and quarterbacks Justin Herbert (10) and Easton Stick (2)

Chargers re-signing QB Easton Stick

The Chargers are bringing back a familiar face.

The Chargers are re-signing quarterback Easton Stick, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.

Stick, a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, had served as the backup with zero experience as a starter until this past season when Justin Herbert was sidelined with a finger injury.

Stick went on to start the final four games and finished with 1,129 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while adding 144 rushing yards and a score on 27 carries.

With a new regime, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they addressed the backup quarterback spot with another veteran. But given Stick’s athleticism paired with Greg Roman’s run-heavy offense, the pairing made sense.

Additionally, the Chargers brought back Shane Day to be the team’s quarterbacks coach. He previously worked with Stick in 2021 and 2022.

Chargers 2024 offseason position preview: Quarterback

Evaluating the Chargers’ quarterback room entering the offseason.

After receiving a contract that briefly made him the highest-paid quarterback of all time, Justin Herbert was largely the same player on tape in 2023 that we’ve become accustomed to seeing in most of his other seasons. Unfortunately, what surrounded Herbert on offense was not as strong. Several high-profile, season-ending injuries collapsed the Chargers season around him in addition to the adverse coaching situation.

20 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and 3000+ yards in 13 games wasn’t going to win him awards, but it also became clear that the state of the offense, in addition to his own personal injuries affected what the potential production could’ve been.

Herbert played through fractures of his non-throwing hand throughout the season. Eventually, he’d be shut down after he injured his index finger on his throwing hand against the Broncos in Week 14. While he could’ve potentially played through it under some circumstances as opposed to opting for the surgery outright, the Chargers rapidly falling out of the playoff picture made the decision to sit him easy.

To kick off our offseason position preview series, we’re evaluating the quarterback group entering the offseason.

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 13-12 loss to Chiefs

The Chargers closed out the regular season with five consecutive losses.

Los Angeles ended the season with their fifth consecutive loss, dropping them to 5-12 at the hands of a skeleton crew Chiefs unit.

Here’s what to take away from the game.

Everything to know about Chargers’ loss to Chiefs

The Chargers closed out the regular season with a loss to the Chiefs.

The Chargers closed out the regular season with a loss to the Chiefs in a low-scoring affair at SoFi Stadium.

To recap everything from the season finale, here is everything to know from the game.

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Chiefs?

Find out who the experts are picking between the Chargers and Chiefs.

The Chargers are 3.5-point favorites over the Chiefs in Week 18 of the 2023 regular season. The over/under is 35 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 35 points.

My score prediction for the game is a 20-17 win for the Chiefs, with a combined total of 37 points. So if I were putting money behind my prediction, I’d bet the over.

As for game picks, most analysts are picking Kansas City to win.

Expert	Pick
Dan Graziano (ESPN)	Chiefs
Sam Farmer (Los Angeles Times)	Chargers
Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports)	Chiefs
John Breech (CBS Sports)	Chiefs
The Athletic	Chiefs (7 to 5)
Ryan Reynolds (The 33rd Team)	Chiefs
NFL.com Staff	Chargers (3 to 2)
Athlon Sports	Chiefs (3 to 0)

Sunday’s game will begin at 1:25 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Will the Chargers-Chiefs matchup be on in your area?

Find out if you will get the matchup between the Chargers and Chiefs on national television.

The Los Angeles Chargers (5-11) are set to get Week 18 underway against the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6).

Those in the green area on the TV map will get the game on CBS, courtesy of 506 Sports.

If you’re in the red area, you will get the matchup between the Bears and Packers.

If you’re in the blue area, you will get the matchup between the Eagles and Giants.

Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta will have the call.

Los Angeles is currently a 3.5-point favorite over Kansas City. Sunday’s matchup will begin at 1:25 p.m. PT.