During the Los Angeles Chargers' 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos, Justin Herbert fractured his finger. The injury required surgery and will cause Herbert to miss the rest of the season.

With this injury, the Chargers are most likely out of contention for the rest of the 2023 season. At 5-8, the Chargers were already on thin ice, especially after losing four of their last five games. With six 7-6 teams in the AFC, it's hard to imagine Los Angeles being competitive without their best player in Herbert. They're already at least two games behind the other contenders, and would have to count on other teams losing to have any slim shot at making the playoffs.

Without Justin Herbert, they'll turn to Easton Stick. The Chargers selected Stick out of North Dakota State in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has primarily been the backup quarterback for Herbert over the last four years, but will make his first start Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. He saw his first real NFL action while closing the game after Herbert left against the Broncos. During this time, Stick went 13-24 for 179 yards.

This quarterback switch likely also means the head coaching tenure of Brandon Staley is coming to a close. Staley has had one of the hottest seats all season, and would likely be out the door regardless of the Herbert injury. However, with Herbert in tow he could save his coaching position if the Chargers put together some fight in these last four games or somehow made a miracle playoff run. It's hard to believe that Staley could motivate this injured and worn out team without Herbert.

Everything has seemed to go wrong for the Chargers since they allowed the Jacksonville Jaguars to come back and steal the win in last year's wild card playoffs. Despite Trevor Lawrence throwing four interceptions and spotting the Chargers a 27-0 lead, the Chargers could not hold up and lost 31-30.

This loss sums up the Chargers as of late, particularly under Staley's direction. Despite having big name players and the talent to pull off intercepting a quarterback like Lawrence four times, Los Angeles has a unique ability to collapse at any point in a game. No team is known for blowing leads or failing to win close games more than the Chargers, who have lost five one-score games this season. It's on a head coach to lead his teams to wins in these critical situations, but Staley has been known for questionable play calls during these situations. Whether it's going for it on fourth down at odd times or mismanaging the clock, Staley has not shown the leadership to overcome whatever curse the Chargers appear to have.

On top of his game management, Staley's defense has massively underwhelmed. Despite being a defensive coach, the Chargers defense ranks the worst it has since he took over three seasons ago. His defense ranks fourth-last in both total yards and passing yards allowed per game.

With Justin Herbert gone, so is any semblance of hope for the Chargers. Now, the Chargers will most likely look at the next crop of coaching candidates. If they're smart, they'll bring in someone who can help Herbert take his game to the next level. With one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, the Chargers need a coach that can avoid late-game blunders and wasting Herbert's prime.