Jim Harbaugh's non-committal Easton Stick answer leaves Chargers' future in question

QB Easton Stick was seemingly always a lock to make the teams' initial 53-man roster, despite a rather turbulent preseason campaign. The Chargers simply didn't have anyone that could beat him out for the job, even after bringing in UFL quarterback Luis Perez as competition.

Whether you're talking about the tape or stats though, Stick's performance left a lot to be desired. He finished the 2024 preseason with 45% completion, one touchdown, three interceptions, and one fumble.

Considering other teams also made their roster cuts to get down to their own respective initial 53-man rosters, speculation ramped up again regarding whether the Chargers could take a look at some of the quarterbacks who became available. When asked if he was satisfied with Stick's progression in the preseason and his status as QB2, Harbaugh had this to say at yesterday's media availability:

"I think he has definitely progressed," Harbaugh said. "Satisfied? I mean that's just a word I'd never use in connection to football in any way. That's a cringeworthy word. That would be in the bottom five as it is related to football words."

Chargers' HC Jim Harbaugh dances around Easton Stick question

Harbaugh's comment about never being "satisfied" with the roster speaks to the teams' roster-building philosophy with himself and GM Joe Hortiz leading the charge. Churning through the depth of the roster has always been at the forefront of the new regimes' strategy. In regards to Stick though, it's not exactly a glowing endorsement for him as QB2 following a disappointing preseason.

The other factor at play is that there are options seemingly available at the quarterback position. The Browns retained both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley to keep four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster.

Whether it's a trade or cut, a quality backup should eventually become available there. Players like Bailey Zappe, Michael Pratt, and Desmond Ridder (in addition to several other names) became available after the leaguewide cutdown to 53 as well.

The Chargers released Luiz Perez on Tuesday after he didn't play a snap in the teams' final preseason game against Dallas. Whether the Chargers have seen enough from him to retain him on the practice squad will also be something to watch as the Chargers try to figure out who could be in their QB room beyond the 53-man roster.

For now, Stick will remain the team's backup quarterback to Justin Herbert. But Harbaugh's comments seem more like a deflection than a ringing endorsement of the NDSU product heading into his sixth year.