Justin Herbert‘s regular season has come to an end. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters today that his starting QB will not play in Week 18. Trey Lance will earn the start, with practice squad QB DJ Uiagalelei garnering an elevation to serve as the QB2.
The Chargers’ loss to the Texans on Saturday officially knocked them out of contention for the AFC West title and home-field advantage, meaning the team will solely be playing for playoff positioning in Week 18. With Herbert still nursing a hand injury that he’s been playing through for more than a month, Harbaugh decided to pull the trigger and bench his QB1 for the season finale. In fact, the coach indicated that a handful of starters may be kept out of Sunday’s matchup vs. the Broncos.
“Winning and health, being healthy, those are our two objectives,” Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). “And guys that we think — the doctors, the trainers, myself, organization — that have the most bruises and need that time the most, we’ve decided that’s the direction we’re going.”
Harbaugh also made it clear that his decision has nothing to do with manipulating the standings to secure a preferred first-round playoff matchup.
“Health and winning. That’s it,” the coach said. “There’s no way to predict. We’re going on the road, first round. All potential teams would be good, and we’ll get ourselves ready for that.”
Herbert’s 2025 season will end with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also compiled a career-high 498 rushing yards. For his efforts, Herbert earned his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Lance will now get an opportunity to show what he’s got. The former third-overall pick last started a game for the Cowboys in 2024, when he completed 20 of 34 pass attempts for 244 yards. Lance inked a one-year deal with the Chargers this past offseason to serve as Herbert’s primary backup. He’s seen time in three games, completing seven of his 13 pass attempts for 90 yards.
If the Texans defeat the free-falling Colts in the early window next Sunday, the Chargers will be playing for either the sixth seed (in which case they’d likely match up with the Jaguars) or the seventh seed (in which case they’d likely match up with the Patriots). Either way, the organization clearly believes that an extra week of rest for Herbert will only increase their chances of pulling off a first-round upset.