Chargers' Jim Harbaugh Offers Blunt Response to Current QB Competition

Valentina Martinez | Aug 9, 2024

Jul 24, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media after the first day of training camp at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Following Thursday's practice at The Bolt, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that the depth at quarterback wasn't strong enough. Enter Luis Perez.

Quarterback Justin Herbert is unavailable until at least the start of the season after he suffered a plantar fascia injury in his right foot. Until Week 1, the Chargers will have Easton Stick at the helm of the offense. As Stick leads the first-team offense throughout training camp, backup quarterbacks Max Duggan and Casey Bauman failed to perform to Harbaugh's liking.

In the hopes of giving Stick better competition, Los Angeles signed Perez on Tuesday.

Jim Harbaugh on signing QB Luis Perez: “I thought Easton wasn’t really having any competition or enough completion… message to Max [Duggan] and Casey [Bauman], we’ve gotta step up the game.” pic.twitter.com/IdpR9JF0JY

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) August 9, 2024

"I thought Easton wasn’t really having any competition or enough completion… message to Max [Duggan] and Casey [Bauman], we’ve gotta step up the game,” Harbaugh told reporters.

Perez is another addition from the UFL. The quarterback played for the Arlington Renegades in 2024. Perez led the league with 225 completions, 2,309 passing yards, and 18 passing touchdowns.

The San Diego native spent time in the XFL and helped the Renegades win the championship title. Perez has also spent time in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Detroit Lions.

Though the Chargers are shorting their starting quarterback, Harbaugh is not stopping his plan of attack for the season.

This isn't the first time Stick has filled Herbert's shoes. The North Dakota State alum played the final four games of the 2023 season when Herbert suffered a season-ending finger injury.

Herbert had high praise for Stick last season after he replaced him for the remainder of the year.

“It could’ve been real easy for a lot of them to shut it down and quit, but these guys stuck together,” Herbert said in January, via the team's transcript. “It was awesome watching [Easton] Stick go out there and play and battle and compete. I thought he did a great job stepping in. There are obviously things we can do better, but watching them fight and compete, I gained a new appreciation for that.”

The Bolts were 0-4 in Stick's starting stint but the season was over long before then.

Stick will have to keep the offense together until the return of their captain. Herbert should be ready to go by the start of the season but it's imperative that the offense continue to mesh together. In an offseason where a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, and a brand new offense have arrived, the quarterback group has a challenging task ahead of them.