Chargers' Trey Lance gets shot at Broncos with Justin Herbert out

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers will sit quarterback Justin Herbert during the team’s season-ending showdown with the Denver Broncos in Week 18.

Harbaugh himself revealed the news on Monday, stressing that the decision has nothing to do with playoff seeding chances at stake during Week 18.

Rather, it’s all about keeping Herbert healthy for the playoffs when they arrive.

"The guys that have the most bruises and need the most healing, we'll pull them back. Justin Herbert would be one," Harbaugh said, according to Eric Smith of Chargers.com. "He's got bruises that need to heal."

Trey Lance to start vs. Broncos with AFC playoff seeding at stake

trey lance 🔜 pic.twitter.com/TSgz4Cqbpl
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 29, 2025

The Chargers can finish as high as the fifth seed based on the outcomes of the Week 18 slate. Those Denver Broncos can secure the top seed in the AFC with a win over the Chargers.

Despite that, the Chargers will turn to Trey Lance, while promoting DJ Uiagalelei from the practice squad to the active roster for the game.

Lance, 25, is the former No. 3 pick from the 2021 draft who came in this past offseason and stole the backup job behind Herbert. He’s shone in preseason work and in three appearances this year, completing seven passes.

It’s not hard to see why the Chargers will let Herbert take a breather. He’s played through a surgically-repaired fracture in his non-throwing hand since Week 13.

Herbert has had other nagging injuries and problems over the course of the season behind an offensive line brutalized by injuries, especially to star tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Just last week during the loss to Houston, the Chargers had to bench a left tackle and roll with offensive line tandem No. 25 on the season in front of Herbert.

There’s a risk of losing momentum by sitting down starters in season finales before the playoffs. But it’s a worthwhile one while the Chargers attempt to figure out the proper line configuration for the postseason. Losing Herbert to injury in Week 18 and starting Lance in the playoffs would be a much worse outcome.

No matter what happens, the Chargers are likely to go on the road in the playoffs to play either Jacksonville or New England. Both are winnable games, provided Herbert is healthy.

Harbaugh and the Chargers just guaranteed that by giving Lance the nod in the finale.

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