Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has never dialed down his enthusiasm for quarterback Justin Herbert and he got a chance to dial it up on Thursday night.
Herbert’s brief participation in the preseason finale against the Rams included a 65-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Quentin Johnston. Herbert got perfect protection and delivered a ball nearly 50 yards in the air as Johnston streaked past defensive backs on his way into the end zone.
“Wow. Double wow,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s website. “The throw, the catch, the protection.”
According to Dante Koplowitz-Fleming of NFL Network, Herbert’s pass traveled 48 yards in the air. That’s longer than any touchdown pass thrown by a quarterback during Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s time with the 49ers or Dolphins, which makes it an intriguing hint of what the Chargers offense could be while combining Herbert’s arm and McDaniel’s play-calling acumen.
Chargers Clips
The Chargers have not named their No. 2 quarterback behind Justin Herbert, but if Thursday night’s preseason finale is any indication, DJ Uiagalelei is a better option than Trey Lance.
Lance led the offense for two possessions and didn’t complete any passes. One drive was a three-and-out, and the other ended with Lance getting sacked on fourth-and-1.
Uiagalelei played much longer and did much more. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 141 yards and generally looked more competent running the Chargers’ offense.
After the game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh had little to say other than to answer, “I thought he did some good things” when asked about Uiagalelei. Harbaugh said last week that Lance and Uiagalelei were in a tight race.
Lance entered the NFL with great fanfare, as the 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move up to No. 3 overall and take Lance in the 2021 NFL draft. The 49ers did that even though Lance had only been a starter for one season at North Dakota State, because Lance appeared to have the talent to develop into an elite NFL quarterback. As Lance heads into his sixth NFL season, he still hasn’t developed.
Uiagalelei entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Chargers last year and spent all season on the practice squad. He hasn’t been tested in the regular season, and that might make Harbaugh decide he’s not ready to be Herbert’s backup. But Lance doesn’t look ready, either.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said this week that he wanted to see his starters play six to nine plays of “crisp and clean” football in Thursday’s final preseason game. It’s a good thing he added, “It’s never perfect, but you want to see that level of crispness and execution. That’s what you want to see the most.”
He will like one of Justin Herbert’s two drives.
The starting quarterback played only three plays last week against the 49ers, and the Chargers went three-and-out as Herbert went 1-of-2 for 9 yards. He opened Thursday’s game against the Rams with a lost fumble on the second play as the ball slipped out of his hands.
Herbert stayed in for one more series, which was only two plays, as he connected with Quentin Johnston for a 65-yard touchdown.
Herbert’s final numbers were 2-of-3 for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Trey Lance replaced Herbert on the first play of the second quarter.
The Rams have the reigning MVP at starting quarterback, but their QB2 is still to be determined.
Head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday that he’s still undecided as to who will be Matthew Stafford’s backup between Stetson Bennett and first-round rookie Ty Simpson.
When gathering data to help make that determination, McVay said the Rams will “definitely” play Simpson in this week’s preseason finale against the Chargers while Bennett may or may not get on the field.
“I’m just truly taking things a day at a time,” McVay said, via Benjamin Royer of the Southern California News Group. “Today, Stetson took nine of the 15 reps [with the second team]. Ty took six of them. As far as what we’re doing with the game, you know we haven’t even gotten into that.”
Bennett is entering his fourth season but has not been in a regular-season game. Jimmy Garoppolo has served as Los Angeles’ backup quarterback for the last two seasons, but he has not been back with the club in 2026 as he contemplates retirement.
Bennett was 19-of-31 for 181 yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the Rams’ preseason matchup with the Saints on Saturday. Simpson finished that contest 8-of-12 for 73 yards.
The Rams will be the “away” team when they play the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night.
Chargers center Tyler Biadasz will not play at all this season.
The Chargers have officially placed Biadasz on injured reserve, ending his season.
That’s no surprise, as the Chargers had said Biadasz had an ACL injury, but the team was exploring the possibility that he might be able to return late in the season. Now there’s no hope of that. Biadasz will not play until 2027.
The 28-year-old Biadasz signed a three-year, $30-million contract with the Chargers in March and was expected to be their starting center this season. He was the Commanders’ starting center last season.
The Chargers have signed wide receiver Gary Jennings to use the roster spot opened up by putting Biadasz on injured reserve.
The Chargers got a key piece of their offensive line back at practice on Saturday.
Left tackle Rashawn Slater took part in practice for the first time in a couple of weeks. Slater missed all of last season after tearing his patellar tendon and an issue with the same knee put him on the sidelines.
Slater was a limited participant in his return to action, but it is a positive sign for his chances of being ready to go for Week 1.
The Chargers are set to be without center Tyler Biadasz at the start of the season after he injured his knee. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has expressed confidence in Jake Slaughter’s ability to handle the job, but having Slater back will make it easier for everyone to share confidence in the entire unit.
One of the most exciting plays in Thursday night’s preseason action was an 83-yard punt return touchdown from San Francisco’s Jacob Cowing. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh was not happy that punter JK Scott let that happen.
Asked what went wrong on the return, Harbaugh made clear that Scott didn’t land the punt where he was supposed to.
“The punt was short and in the middle, and then we got out-flanked,” Harbaugh said.
Scott’s attempt at tackling Cowing was so weak that Harbaugh was asked after the game if Scott had been instructed not to tackle, on the theory that maybe it’s not worth a punter injuring himself in a preseason game. Harbaugh made clear that was not the case.
“No, he’s got to have a plan when he’s in that position to make the tackle. Something we need to work on, coach up,” Harbaugh said.
Scott is the only punter on the Chargers’ roster, so he doesn’t appear to be in a competition to keep his job, but it’s safe to assume Harbaugh is telling him he needs to be better.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh remains undecided about who quarterback Justin Herbert’s backup will be when the regular season starts.
After the Chargers lost to the 49ers on Thursday night, Harbaugh said Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei are in a close competition to be QB2, and neither one has done enough to separate himself yet.
“I think it’s tight. I don’t have a definitive status on it right now,” Harbaugh said.
Uiagalelei completed seven of 15 passes for 80 yards, with one touchdown. Lance completed 10 of 16 passes for 73 yards, with no touchdowns. Neither quarterback had a turnover. Lance showed off his tremendous athleticism with a 37-yard run against his former team, but he still looks like a player who relies on his athletic talents and hasn’t learned to be a complete quarterback.
Overall, Harbaugh was just disappointed in the performance of his offense.
“Some good, some of the better plays were called back for illegal formation or two guys in motion, just sloppy pre-snap, post-snap,” Harbaugh said. “Kind of hard to evaluate the quarterbacks when errors are taking place.”
Brock Purdy got some playing time against the Chargers on Thursday night.
But the most notable element of his performance was that he got through it without injury.
Purdy played one drive that lasted 12 plays, but it didn’t even get into Los Angeles territory — going from the San Francisco 6-yard line to the 45.
The quarterback completed 4-of-6 passes for 29 yards and also had a 3-yard scramble. He was able to complete a pair of third-down passes, both of which went to rookie De’Zhaun Stribling.
Mac Jones came in to relieve Purdy on San Francisco’s second possession, leading the offense to a scoring drive with Eddy Pineiro’s 48-yard field goal.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was on the field for Thursday night’s preseason game against the 49ers.
But if you blinked, you would’ve missed it.
Herbert’s exhibition debut with Mike McDaniel as his play-caller lasted just three snaps, with the Chargers going three-and-out on their first offensive possession.
Omarion Hampton lost a yard on the first play from scrimmage. Then Herbert completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Charlie Kolar while rolling to his left. But on third-and-2, Herbert’s downfield pass to Ladd McConkey was well off and incomplete.
With the ball at the Los Angeles 43, the club elected to punt.
Trey Lance came in to relieve Herbert at quarterback on the Chargers’ second drive later in the first quarter.
