Quarterback Cardale Jones’ stint with the Chargers came to an end Saturday after being released on cutdown day.
The move came as a bit of surprise to some, given that he had his best preseason as a professional yet. Nonetheless, rookie Easton Stick won the No. 3 job to back up Philip Rivers and Tyrod Taylor.
While many made their case why both quarterbacks were worthy of the spot, coach Anthony Lynn came out and explained why the coaching staff ultimately decided that Stick was the best option moving forward.
“We think Easton has some qualities we would like to develop with and have for a longer period of time to work with him,” Lynn said, per Orange County Register’s Gilbert Manzano.
Despite experiencing some growing pains throughout the four-game stint, the fifth-round selection did show some promise. The former North Dakota State flashed his athleticism by winning on the ground, as well as throwing the ball nicely to the short-intermediate parts of the field.
He will have to work on efficiently going through his progressions while feeling the rush to find an open window, as well as becoming more confident with his arm rather than just wanting to rely on his legs after the first read.
Even though he wasn’t perfect and his play on the field didn’t necessarily outperform Jones, Stick displayed traits of a player that could develop into a very reliable long-term backup or even a starter down the road.
As for Jones, he remains a free agent at the moment. Lynn added that Jones deserves to compete for a No. 2 job somewhere, which he couldn’t do with the Chargers because of Rivers and Taylor.
