Justin Herbert suffers season-ending finger injury

Justin Herbert – CC BY-SA

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert must retire early from the 2023 season and enter the injured reserve after his right index finger fractured during the game against the Denver Broncos.

Herbert had his right index finger fractured from a hit by Denver defensive end Zach Allen during the second quarter. Herbert then finished a pass to Los Angeles tight end Donald Parham Jr. and played for the rest of the game before going to the locker room.

Herbert had index finger surgery on Tuesday. The player said he was disappointed with how his injury left his team in a rough spot, trailing 0-10 at halftime and a 0-17 points deficit in the fourth quarter.

“Certainly, there’s nothing more important than that, than his right hand. And his long-term future. He’s 25 years old, and he’s got a really, really bright future in front of him. So, like I said, every decision we make is going to be with that in mind,” said Chargers coach Brandon Staley.

Herbert had registered 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 93.2 rating this season before his injury.

Stick to replace Herbert

Quarterback Easton Stick has replaced Herbert for the Chargers and will start his first NFL game next Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Stick said his coming as a replacement for Herbert is not how he had envisioned it, although the opportunity for the upcoming NFL game excited him for what is to come.

“It’s been really cool watching him get his opportunity and have a bunch of success. We follow it as much as anybody. A lot of the top players in our position have gotten hurt. It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of the game,” said Stick.

Stick was a fifth-round draft pick in 2019 and finished the game with no interceptions, no touchdowns, and 13 of 24 passing for 179 yards.

The 28-year-old quarterback was the most high-achieving quarterback in FCS history when he was at North Dakota State, with a 49-3 record in four seasons. Stick also registered 88 passing touchdowns and 8,693 passing yards during his career at NDSU.

Chargers safety Derwin James said he and all other Chargers would provide full support for the quarterback in upcoming games.