There is a high probability that quarterback Easton Stick will start for the Chargers on Thursday night when they face the Raiders as Justin Herbert is unlikely to play due to a finger injury he sustained against the Broncos.
It would be Stick’s first NFL start of his career. The 28-year-old has attempted just 25 passes throughout his career and all but one came on Sunday against Denver.
Despite the limited playing time, head coach Brandon Staley believes Stick has grown tremendously “in all ways as a quarterback.”
Mechanically, throwing the football with accuracy, I think that he has really developed that sense of, ‘Hey, this is what my base needs to be, this is where my shoulders need to be.’ Consistency with his stroke. I think that you saw that last night. I thought that you saw him really drive the football — throw it with touch, really drive it on some of those in-breaks. There was a tight third-down throw to Keenan [Allen] in a bunch of traffic that I thought was really good. That fourth down to Keenan on the choice [route], he really ripped that, gave him a chance. I think that he has really improved mechanically.
Stick was a fifth-round pick out of North Dakota State in 2019 and he’s worn the powder blues since then. Not only does his coach have full confidence in him, but his teammates believe they still have a fighting chance with Stick under center.
“I have nothing but full confidence in Easton Stick,” defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day said, per the team’s official website. “The looks that he gives us week-in and week-out [on the scout team] are amazing. He’s confident, he’s poised, he knows the offense like the back of his hand.
He’s honestly a great, great quarterback, and I believe he actually proved that with what the situation he was put in. A lot of quarterbacks put in that situation, they probably wouldn’t give you points.”
Stick’s best play of the game last Sunday was a 57-yard pass over the middle to Quentin Johnston. The next play Stick connected with Johnston again for a gain of 22 yards. Austin Ekeler was then able to score with a three-yard run.
Stick completed 13 of his 24 attempts for 179 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
“To have a guy that is smart and that can move, it gives you a chance,” Staley said. “As I mentioned, I think that he can learn a lot from that tape and give our team confidence going into Thursday.”
With the Chargers essentially out of playoff contention, it’s possible they could roll with Stick for the remainder of the season instead of taking the risk of Herbert getting hurt again.
