National Football League

Justin Herbert fractures finger on throwing hand in loss to Broncos; timeline unclear

Published Dec. 10, 2023 8:25 p.m. ET

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a fractured finger on his throwing hand in the team's 24-7 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.

Los Angeles coach Brandon Staley confirmed the injury to reporters after the game, saying Herbert's timeline is "to be determined" as they will find out more in the coming days.

Herbert suffered the injury late in the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game after halftime. He was 9 of 17 for 96 yards with an interception before being injured, apparently while he was taken down awkwardly by Denver's Zach Allen after throwing a pass. Herbert had been sacked four times and hit six times during the Chargers' first six possessions, with his teammates repeatedly missing their blocks against Denver's pass rushers.

Herbert, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, has been famously durable in his career.

He fractured the middle finger on his left hand late in the third quarter of a game against Las Vegas on Oct. 1, when it got caught in the helmet of Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby after he threw a pass that was intercepted by Trevon Moehrig. Herbert wore a split on the hand during the fourth quarter and did not miss any games.

He also didn’t miss any time last year when he suffered a fractured rib cartilage during a Week 2 game against the Chiefs.

Easton Stick, who had played two NFL snaps in five seasons with Los Angeles, took over for Herbert. He completed 13 of 24 passes for 179 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the 24-7 loss.

The Chargers fell to 5-8 on the season with the loss, further damaging their playoff hopes. They take on the Raiders in Week 15 before closing the year out against three teams that currently have winning records.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.