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chris rimm
El Segundo, California — los angeles chargers quarterback Justin Herbert Will not play in Sunday’s regular season finale against denver broncoscoach Jim Harbaugh said Monday.
backup quarterback trey lance will begin while DJ UiagaleleiWas on the practice squad throughout the season, will be promoted to backup.
Herbert, who will not be ready for the game, has been nursing a broken left hand since Week 13. Harbaugh said other starters also could be held out of Sunday’s game.
“Winning and health, staying healthy, those are our two objectives,” Harbaugh said. “And the guys, we think – the doctors, the trainers, me, myself, the organization – who have had the most injuries and need it the most at that time, we’ve decided that’s the direction we’re going in.”
Denver will clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a win on Sunday.
Chargers defeat houston texans Last weekend knocked them out of the AFC West title race, and the finals solely affect playoff seeding — they could be as high as the fifth seed with a win — and not home field advantage.
Herbert threw for 236 yards and a touchdown against the Texans and was the team’s leading rusher with 37 yards. He writhed in pain after landing on his injured hand in the first of five sacks in the loss.
Harbaugh said Herbert’s absence is not about manipulating the wild-card matchup.
He said, “Health and victory. That’s all.” “There’s no way to predict. We’re going on the road, first round. All potential teams will be good, and we’ll prepare ourselves for that.”
Herbert, who was selected to his second Pro Bowl, would finish his sixth season with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for a career-high 498 yards and added two more scores.
