Chargers advised by Hall of Fame coach to rest Justin Herbert in Week 18

When it comes to NFL playoff positioning, the Los Angeles Chargers have something to play for in Week 18 when they enter the season finale against the Denver Broncos.

Whether the Chargers actually play starters, though, remains to be seen.

It’s a debate suddenly worth having. If things go right for the Chargers, they can climb as high as the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs. If things go the other way, they could drop to the seventh seed.

And that dip to the seventh seed might be a more favorable-looking matchup on paper.

That’s part of why a legendary NFL head coach wants to see Jim Harbaugh shut his Chargers down in the finale.

Bill Cowher offers NFL playoff advice to Chargers

Bill Cowher’s comments on CBS about the Chargers’ outlook happened before it was revealed Los Angeles could improve playoff seeding in Week 18.

But the main crux of Cowher’s argument was really about health.

“Chargers can’t win the division,” Cowher said. “The question I have for Jim Harbaugh is, how do you approach this game? Personally, I would look at this as almost a bye week…I need my guys as healthy as possible. Justin Herbert would not be on that field.”

If @CowherCBS was coaching the Chargers... Justin Herbert would NOT see the field in Week 18 pic.twitter.com/XzKXISKVOM
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 28, 2025

It’s a really tough argument to ignore. Justin Herbert continues to play through the surgically repaired non-throwing hand and the Chargers have (as is tradition) suffered one of the biggest bites of the injury bug of any team.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts play at 1 p.m. ET next week, while the Chargers play the Denver Broncos in the 4:25 p.m. ET slot. In order to jump up the seeding, they need Houston to lose that early game, so the schedule itself could help them figure out whether or not to risk starters.

As a seventh seed, the Chargers could be heading for a trip to New England. Climbing to the fifth could mean a date in Pittsburgh. Right now, they’re the sixth seed and would head to Jacksonville.

Patriots-Chargers is the most likely AFC playoff matchup right now.

that's an ideal draw for LAC because any team without a great pass rush is an ideal draw
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) December 28, 2025

There’s also the “momentum” conversation to consider, as resting starters for a week can backfire in an elimination game.

No matter what the Chargers end up doing, they will need to hit the postseason with a better plan for cold games featuring elite front sevens that can apply constant pressure, or they’ll suffer an ugly exit similar to the loss they just suffered to Houston.

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