Bleak Justin Herbert injury update likely spells end for Brandon Staley

The Los Angeles Chargers fell to 5-8 with Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos. The offense mustered seven points and the season flashed before every fan's eyes when Justin Herbert went down with a finger injury in the first half.

Herbert was ruled out of the game at halftime and now his future availability is in doubt. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Herbert is consulting with hand specialists to determine the best path forward.

"He's not playing Thursday night and I'm going to guess that we might not see him again this season."

Herbert will not play in the Chargers' Thursday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders, a critical matchup if L.A. wants even an outside chance at the final Wild Card spot. If Herbert is out for the remainder of the season, we can pretty much close the book on the Chargers' 2023 campaign — and head coach Brandon Staley's tenure.

Easton Stick, a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, will take up arms in Herbert's place. He completed 13-of-24 passes for 179 yards following Herbert's injury in the Denver game.

Justin Herbert's season could be done for Chargers

Los Angeles will hope for a quick turnaround, but at this point, it's probably wise for the Chargers to set their sights on 2024. That starts with getting Herbert healthy and scouting the upcoming NFL Draft class for offensive line help and defensive talent.

It also starts with moving on from Brandon Staley, whose complete incompetence as a game manager has cost the Chargers multiple games this season. Staley was billed as the NFL's next young hotshot after a successful D.C. stint with the Los Angeles Rams, but the Chargers' defense ranks near the bottom of the NFL and the offense regularly flounders despite Herbert profiling as one of the top QB talents in the world. FanSided's John Buhler compared him to "a complete and utter buffoon in the rain."

If this in indeed it for Herbert in 2023, he has plenty to be proud of individually. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across 12 games and change. He once again established a historically productive connection with Keenan Allen (108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven TDs), but unfortunately, the remainder of L.A.'s skill players were profoundly lacking. Austin Ekeler hasn't been right all season, Quentin Johnston has a notable dropped pass every week, and Herbert is consistently under pressure due to the poor infrastructure around him (29 sacks).

The Chargers will hope to rebound in 2024, ideally with a new coach calling the shots. Herbert is an elite talent at the front end of his prime, but windows slam shut quickly in the NFL. He deserves much, much better.