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what happened to the chargers quarterback

Justin Herbert is healthy enough to play, but the Chargers are holding him out of the Week 18 regular-season finale and starting backup quarterback Trey Lance instead to protect Herbert before the playoffs.

Current situation

  • Justin Herbert will not play in the Chargers’ Week 18 game against the Denver Broncos.
  • The team has already secured a playoff spot and is treating this game as a chance to rest key starters, including Herbert.
  • Trey Lance, the backup, is getting the start at quarterback for this game.

Why Herbert is sitting

  • Head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers staff want to avoid unnecessary hits on Herbert behind a struggling offensive line, especially against Denver’s strong pass rush.
  • Playoff seeding can still move slightly, but Los Angeles will be on the road regardless, so the risk of playing Herbert is seen as higher than the reward.

What this means for Trey Lance

  • Lance is on his third NFL team and has had limited starting opportunities, so this Week 18 start is viewed as a big audition for him.
  • Coaches say his footwork and throwing mechanics have improved in practice, and they believe his best football is still ahead.
  • The matchup is tough: the Chargers won’t play many starters, and Denver has one of the league’s top pass-rushing defenses.

Fan and media buzz

  • The move has sparked “what happened to the Chargers quarterback” chatter because casual fans see Herbert out and assume injury or drama, but this is primarily a strategic rest decision, not a new major injury.
  • Around the league, the storyline is split between:
    • How far the Chargers can go with a rested Herbert in the playoffs.
* Whether Lance can use this start to revive his first-round pedigree and reshape his trajectory.

TL;DR: Herbert is fine; the Chargers are resting him for the playoffs and giving Trey Lance a Week 18 start, which is more about strategy and evaluation than a crisis at quarterback.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.