It goes without saying that the Los Angeles Chargers' starting quarterback situation is set in stone.
Justin Herbert has played through injuries in his career before, and his excellent performance over the past few seasons leaves little doubt that he'll be able to excel in Mike McDaniel's new offensive scheme. McDaniel wants to weaponize Herbert's strengths by getting the ball out earlier, overcoming some of their deficits on the interior offensive line and opening up opportunities for major yards-after-the-catch.
Herbert might not be able to win his first MVP this season given the difficulty of Los Angeles' schedule, but he certainly has a better shot than he did in 2025.
But the reality of the Chargers' QB room is that, beyond Herbert, there isn't much to inspire confidence. Trey Lance hasn't started a game with actual stakes since he was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. DJ Uiagalelei has put very little inspiring play on tape, even in a practice setting, since he entered the league.
If Herbert misses any amount of time in 2026, Dan Graziano at ESPN has proposed a wild contingency plan in his piece exploring the trade candidates for this upcoming season— Mac Jones of the 49ers.
"In order for Jones to be moved, a contender would need a significant enough injury at the quarterback position to convince them to overpay the Niners to let him go. If something happened to, say, Justin Herbert with the Chargers or to Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, or if none of the Vikings' options work out, those are all examples of places where Jones could conceivably step right in and help their Kyle Shanahan-inspired offenses." Dan Graziano, ESPN
A Justin Herbert injury is a far-off reality, but the Chargers would likely need a contingency plan
To be clear, a major injury to Herbert is not an imminent reality. The only significant time he's missed in his six-season career was in 2023, when he suffered a broken finger in Week 14. He played through multiple games last season with a broken hand.
But it's not an impossibility.
With McDaniel in the fold, the stakes are too high for the Chargers to simply punt this season if Herbert goes down, and their schedule is too difficult for them to truly tread water if Lance is forced to start multiple games. Los Angeles has publicly indicated their confidence in Lance, but he's done very little on the field to justify it.
Granted, his 136-yard, one interception performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 18 is not necessarily indicative of what he might be capable of with an extended stretch of opportunities. He also has experience working under McDaniel in 2021 in San Francisco. The Chargers re-signed him on a one-year, $2.5 million deal for 2026.
Jones, however, would be a major upgrade if it comes down to it. Jones started eight games in Brock Purdy's absence last season for the 49ers, posting 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He has extensive starting experience between the New England Patriots and San Francisco, and he likely has the poise and the arm talent to be viable for at least a few games in an emergency scenario.
That being said, the price would likely be far too high for Jones. San Francisco clearly prefers to keep him as their backup quarterback unless a team truly gets desperate, and the Chargers are not known to make moves in desperation.
While it's a viable contingency plan in theory, it's not one that would likely unfold in reality.
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