LA Chargers: Grading Justin Herbert and the 2020 QB group
Easton Stick
The Chargers had a relatively long stretch where they didn’t carry a third quarterback. Easton Stick changed that in 2019 when the Chargers selected him in the fifth round.
There were some up and down performances in the preseason, but it was easy to see why the Chargers liked him as a developmental prospect. Worst case scenario, he’s bad and he gets cut. Best case scenario, he shows some promise and gets flipped for an asset.
Unfortunately, the realities of 2020 cut the preseason and we never got to see Stick play. Well, that’s not entirely true. We actually awkwardly saw him get thrown in after Herbert took a couple shots vs. Jacksonville because of…trying to protect Herbert from hits?
Hey, I think you could just get a decent offensive line for once instead of chucking a third-stringer into the game to take blows for him.
Outside of a poor scramble and an OK pass to Williams, there really isn’t much to talk about on the 2020 Stick front. What will be interesting is the Chargers’ backup situation in 2021. Will Taylor be brought back? Does Stick make his move up to QB2?
Personally, I’m a fan of bringing Stick back in addition to a veteran backup. Whether that’s Taylor or someone else, it just feels like QB2 is too important to currently trust Stick with. Perhaps I’d feel differently if we got to see a 2020 preseason. His playmaking ability in the 2019 preseason was decent, but he had way too many passes where he didn’t process fast enough.
Until I see more in the future, incomplete feel like the best grade for Stick. There’s just not much for me to go off of.
Preseason grade: C+
Final 2020 grade: I
With only one quarterback being able to take the field at the time, the total quarterback grade is kind of impossible to average out between the three passers. For now, I’ll say A- for a great Herbert year and solid Taylor performance (both on and off the field).
Next. Would Tom Brady have won Super Bowl LV with the Chargers?