2. Drafting a quarterback in the late rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft
There are several different options if the Chargers go this route and this ultimately could be the direction the team goes (especially if they do not land the no. 1 option on the list). The Chargers did this with Easton Stick in 2019 and now that his rookie contract is up it might be time to do it again.
This is the cheapest way for the Chargers to get a backup quarterback. They would be getting a cost-controlled quarterback on a rookie deal to back up Justin Herbert for the next four years. If there is someone they like in the late rounds to do this then it would not be a surprising route.
Los Angeles selected Stick in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and with other needs on the roster, the Bolts should not spend more than a sixth-round pick on a backup QB. There still could be value in those rounds, as we have seen guys like Brock Purdy and Tyler Huntley fill in for starters and do well. Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant while Huntley was undrafted.
Heck, someone like Stetson Bennett could be perfect for the Chargers if he is there in the sixth or seventh round. The Chargers have loved drafting Georgia Bulldogs in recent years and Bennett is the most experienced quarterback available (and is five months older than Justin Herbert).
That would be the kind of quarterback that the Chargers would take. It wouldn't be a raw toolsy quarterback. It would be someone on the older side with starting experience at a big university that could hopefully pick up the offense and not burn the team if Herbert has to miss time.