The Chargers are locked in with a playoff berth, with one game remaining in the regular season against the Raiders this Sunday.
With a playoff spot already secured, the question now becomes whether or not Los Angeles will play its starters with the hope of no one getting hurt.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about resting starters on the “Let’s Go Podcast” this past week, potentially hinting that he will play them.
“We’re going to be playing to win at all times,” Harbaugh responded. “That never changes. I like what Derwin James said, he’s our captain… He said, 11 wins sounds better than 10. So we’re, we’re attacking it.”
“We’re attacking it with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. The thing that doesn’t resonate right now is, you know, play the backups. What are we going to do? Dress 25 guys for the game?” he added.
Harbaugh and the rest of the team will have their eyes on the TV on Saturday, watching to see how the game between the Steelers and Bengals goes.
If Pittsburgh loses to Cincinnati, L.A. must beat Las Vegas to secure the fifth seed. However, if the Steelers win, the Chargers will be locked into the sixth seed.
The Chargers have fallen victim to losing a key starter in a Week 18 game when they already had a spot in the playoffs. Two years ago, Mike Williams suffered a low back injury that forced him to miss the postseason.
However, the consequences of resting the starters could be not getting live-game reps and potentially causing them to feel rusty from the extra rest time.
“I think going into the playoffs, it’s important to not get rusty,” edge defender Joey Bosa said. “Obviously I feel like I’m still really working back for my injury and have a lot to continue to improve.”
We will have to wait to see how Harbaugh approaches this game and what he does with the starters.