The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers will take very different approaches when they meet in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday night.
For the Rams, it’s business as usual — head coach Sean McVay has long kept his starters out of preseason action, prioritizing health over in-game reps. The Chargers, however, are going in the opposite direction.
Despite canceling a scheduled joint practice with the Rams earlier this week due to injuries, head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed on Thursday that his starters will take the field. That includes quarterback Justin Herbert, who has never taken a preseason snap in his first five NFL seasons.
Chargers Put Starters in Harm’s Way Despite Canceling Practice Due to Injuries
Harbaugh said Herbert will play “a couple of series,” roughly six to eight plays, before giving way to backups. “Our guys want to play,” Harbaugh told reporters via the team’s website. “They want the first series of the season not to be the first series of the season.”
It will be a notable first for Herbert. There was no preseason during his rookie year in 2020, and the opted to hold him out entirely in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Last summer, a foot injury kept him sidelined. This time, he’s healthy — and apparently eager to get game speed reps before the regular season.
Other key starters, such as edge rusher Khalil Mack and safety Derwin James, will be held out. Harbaugh also confirmed that backup quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Trey Lance are slated to play, though he didn’t specify which will follow Herbert in the rotation.
The decision means the Chargers’ first-team offense and defense will be matched up — at least briefly — against the Rams’ second-team units. That’s a departure from last week, when the Dallas Cowboys rested all of their starters against Los Angeles.
It’s a calculated risk for Harbaugh, who’s entering his first NFL preseason as Chargers head coach. Whether it’s an opportunity for rhythm-building or an unnecessary gamble in August will depend on how Saturday plays out — and whether the Chargers can come out of it as healthy as they went in.
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