Chargers QB Herbert will miss rest of season after undergoing surgery on broken finger
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens takes part in drills during Monday’s practice in Eagan, Minn.
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Justin Herbert had surgery on Tuesday on the broken index finger on his right hand and will miss the Los Angeles Chargers’ remaining four games this season.
Herbert visited two hand specialists on Monday after he suffered the injury during the second quarter of Los Angeles’ 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
“He is tough as they come, but we’re going to make sure that, whatever it is, we’re going to do what is best for Justin, long term,” coach Brandon Staley said on Monday.
Herbert is the seventh starting quarterback in the league to be lost for the season because of an injury if the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers does not return from his torn Achilles tendon. That includes the top two QBs who signed extensions during the preseason.
Herbert signed a $252.5 million extension on the first day of training camp and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow inked a five-year extension worth $275 million three days before the start of the regular season.
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Easton Stick will get his first NFL start on Thursday night at Las Vegas against the Raiders. The Chargers are 5-8 and have dropped four of their past five.
Stick will be only the fourth Chargers starting quarterback since 2006, which is tied with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia for second fewest in that span.
Green Bay and Seattle have had only three starting QBs in the past 18 seasons.
Herbert, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, had been durable in his career, with 62 consecutive regular-season starts. He has played through a broken finger on his non-throwing hand earlier this season and fractured rib cartilage last season.
Max Duggan, who was selected in the seventh round of April’s draft, will be called up from the practice squad to be Stick’s backup once Herbert is placed on injured reserve.
Broncos Chargers Football
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert stands on the sidelines during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos in Inglewood, Calif.
Ryan Sun, Associated Press
BRIEFLY
VIKINGS: Nick Mullens will be the starting quarterback for Minnesota this Saturday at Cincinnati. He relieved an ineffective Joshua Dobbs last week and helped lead the Vikings to a 3-0 victory at Las Vegas. Mullens is the fourth different starter for the Vikings. They’ve never used that many in the same season before in franchise history. Dobbs arrived in a trade with Arizona after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon.
BROWNS: Cleveland lost its second starting offensive tackle in two days as Jedrick Wills Jr. underwent season-ending knee surgery. Wills had been on injured reserve since Nov. 7, and the Browns had hoped the left tackle would be able to return at some point this season. However, the 2020 first-round pick from Alabama elected to have an operation and won’t be back until 2024.
RAMS: Los Angeles cut veteran kicker Mason Crosby from their practice squad after incumbent Lucas Havrisik had a strong game at Baltimore. The Rams also placed rookie long snapper Alex Ward on injured reserve and signed veteran long snapper Carson Tinker. Crosby signed with Los Angeles last week, returning to the NFL after his 16-year career in Green Bay ended last winter.
RAVENS: Baltimore activated defensive back Pepe Williams off injured reserve. Williams hasn’t played this season because of ankle problems. He appeared in 14 games last season as a rookie. The Ravens designated Williams to return from IR on Nov. 21, but did not activate him until now.
PLAYOFFS: Al Michaels won’t be calling an NFL playoff game for NBC for the first time since the network returned to televising the league in 2006. The 79-year-old Michaels was the voice of “Sunday Night Football” from 2006 through 2021 before leaving for Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday night package. He has called 11 Super Bowls, including five for NBC.
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