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.
Under contract
QB Justin Herbert ($19.3M cap hit)
QB Max Duggan ($795K cap hit)
Herbert enters his fifth-year option on his rookie contract. His cap hit will rise to nearly $40 million next season, but for now, the Chargers still get him at a relatively discounted rate of $19.3 million. He’s the only lock from the Chargers’ 2023 quarterback room to remain on the roster.
Max Duggan received a futures contract with the Chargers after initially being selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft. Duggan got waived from the roster in the initial creation of the 53-man roster and was used as the emergency third quarterback for most of the year.
However, Duggan wasn’t promoted to QB2 when Herbert was injured. Interim GM JoJo Wooden and the Chargers’ front office opted to sign Will Grier as Stick’s backup instead. The former TCU product would probably never contribute in year one as more of a developmental dart throw. But the direction of the rest of his Chargers’ tenure remains uncertain after the front office that drafted him was cleaned out.
Pending free agents
QB Easton Stick
QB Will Grier
Easton Stick got his bump from QB3 to QB2 last year as the Chargers moved on from veteran journeyman Chase Daniel. He probably didn’t expect to play quite as much as he did with the unfortunate circumstances of how the season panned out.
Stick made four starts following Herbert being shut down for the remainder of the season. With a skeleton squad offense around him, he did well enough considering the task. He had four scrimmage touchdowns, one interception, and 1132 yards.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Chargers do with Stick. Does the new front office go in a new direction? How much does his experience in a quarterback room with Herbert matter? Judging by the re-hiring of quarterbacks coach Shane Day, LA will want an environment in the quarterback room that makes Herbert the most comfortable.
Grier was signed to be the Chargers’ primary backup quarterback after Herbert went down. The move seemed primarily based on his experience with Kellen Moore and Doug Nussmeier in Dallas at the time. With both of those key reasons for his signing in Philadelphia, I’d say it casts doubt on a potential return to LA for Grier in 2024.
2024 Outlook
With a new front office, uncertainty looms at most positional groups in 2024. At quarterback, that isn’t as much of an issue. Herbert is the franchise.
Considering how the 2023 season ended, the backup competition or signings for the signal callers behind Herbert will matter. The Chargers don’t need to invest in a high-market backup, considering their financial circumstances, but they certainly need to find someone they trust to make a start when the games matter potentially.
Perhaps that will be Stick or Duggan. But with a new coaching staff and front office, we’ll learn who the Chargers trust the most in creating a QB room that works best in supplementing Herbert.
