- The CBS broadcast showed Herbert walking down the tunnel in the second quarter
- Stick, a North Dakota State product with one playing experience, stepped in
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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out for the remainder of the game against the Denver Broncos after suffering a finger injury in the second quarter – and the injury could lead to more absences.
It's unclear exactly when Herbert injured his hand, but the CBS broadcast showed him jogging through the tunnel and into the locker room.
After the game, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley announced that Herbert had broken the index finger on his throwing hand, an injury that could spell the end of his season heading into Week 14.
By the time he left the game, Herbert had already been sacked four times in two quarters as the Chargers' offensive line could not contain the Broncos' pass rush.
His successor as quarterback was Easton Stick – a former fifth-round pick from North Dakota State.
A return of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) with a finger injury is questionable
His successor as QB is former fifth-round pick from North Dakota State Easton Stick
Herbert is the key offensive playmaker on this Chargers team – which has a 5-7 record
Things almost got worse for the Chargers when Stick appeared to be sacked when Ja'Quan McMillian recovered a fumble for a touchdown. But the call was overturned and LA went for a three-pointer on the drive.
According to ProFootballReference, Stick has only appeared in one NFL game so far – the 2020 season.
Herbert is the main offensive engine for this struggling 5-7 Chargers team.
He currently ranks ninth in the league with 3,038 yards per year, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Herbert's QBR of 68.2 is fifth-best in the league and his passer rating of 95.1 is tied with Patrick Mahomes for 10th-best in the NFL.