The Los Angeles Chargers are adjusting to a training camp that no longer features Justin Herbert at quarterback. The star quarterback will miss all of the preseason after suffering a plantar fascia injury.
That has thrust Easton Stick into a new role, one where he has to, at the bare minimum, hold down the fort. Stick, a fifth-round pick in 2019, has only seen minimal action in his career, most of which coming last season when Herbert went down with an injured index finger.
In speaking to the media recently, Stick offered a brutally honest opinion of the situation.
“Once the ball snaps I can’t play like Justin. There are very few people in the world that can do what Justin Herbert does.”
That seems obvious, but it's not often you see a player offer that kind of honesty. Should Chargers fans be even more alarmed than they already were? The big question comes down to how much of a hit the team takes by having Stick instead of Herbert.
Chargers must look at outside options aggressively
This has been talked about in great detail, and that will likely only increase. It's easy to assume that everything will be fine once Week 1 comes along, but as has been pointed out by multiple sources, this injury could linger.
If that is even a slight worry, it would be a good move to bring in another option aside from Stick and Max Duggan. If the Chargers have to turn to one of them during the regular season, it could become a lost season quickly.
Stick will suffice in camp and preseason games. Duggan will have a chance to show more than he already has. But by Stick's own admission, he can't do what Herbert does and he might not even be able to get close.
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