Chargers QB Justin Herbert to play in his 1st preseason game

EL SEGUNDO — Quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receiver Keenan Allen will be among the starters who will play in the Chargers’ preseason game against the Rams on Saturday at SoFi Stadium, Coach Jim Harbaugh said Thursday. Safety Derwin James Jr. and outside linebacker Khalil Mack will not.

It will be Herbert’s first preseason game since the Chargers drafted him in the first round after a stellar college career at Oregon. The preseason in 2020 was canceled because of COVID-19 and Herbert didn’t play during Brandon Staley’s three seasons as coach (2021-23).

Last season, Harbaugh’s first with the Chargers, Herbert sat out the bulk of training camp because of a plantar fascia injury that forced him to wear a walking boot for two weeks. Herbert was sound enough to play in the Chargers’ season-opening victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“It was actually me going to (Harbaugh) and saying, ‘Hey, would it be OK if I went in and played?’” Herbert said. “In years past, the plan was to rest and cede those reps, but I want to go out there and see a pass rush because in practice, as a quarterback, you don’t always get the true feeling of the pass rush. So, I thought it would be helpful to go out there, and he was understanding.”

Herbert said the original plan called for him to play this past Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, but when left tackle Rashawn Slater sustained a season-ending knee injury during practice on Aug. 7, the Chargers had to reconfigure their offensive line, moving right tackle Joe Alt into Slater’s spot.

Don’t expect to see a great deal of Herbert on Saturday, though.

Or Allen. Or wide receiver Ladd McConkey. Or members of the offensive line.

The same goes for the Chargers’ defense with the exception of James and Mack.

“It’ll be a series or it could be two,” Harbaugh said of Herbert’s participation.

Trey Lance is expected to replace Herbert and get the bulk of the snaps against the Rams. Lance has emerged as the leading candidate to be Herbert’s backup during the regular season after leading the Chargers to one-sided victories in each of their first two preseason games.

Why play Herbert or Allen or any of the starters in a meaningless exhibition and risk injury?

“They want the first series of the season not to be the first series of the season,” Harbaugh said.

So, why hold back James and Mack?

“I know they’re ready,” Harbaugh said of the Chargers’ two defensive pillars. “I know they’ll be ready. I remember when ‘K-Mack’ got traded to the Bears (from the Raiders on Sept. 1, 2018) and didn’t practice at all and had a pick-six and a couple of sacks (in the opener). I know they’re good and ready to go.

“Offensively, there’s timing and execution acquired for all 11, who have to be on the same page. They’ll have done it with that drive (to start the game against the Rams). Some plays will be beneficial. I would have done it last week (against the Saints), but some things were out of alignment.”

Harbaugh referred to making adjustments on the offensive line in the wake of Slater’s injury.

The Chargers got a jump on the rest of the NFL, starting training camp July 17 in preparation for facing the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31 in Canton, Ohio. Their practice Thursday was their 20th of camp, with four more to go next week, plus two exhibition games to play.

In addition to facing the Rams on Saturday, the Chargers also pay a visit to the San Francisco 49ers for their preseason finale on Aug. 23 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The regular-season opener is Sept. 5, when the Chargers travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to face their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers have miles to run before the regular season begins, though.

“Excited,” Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley said of playing Saturday. “I’ve got to hit somebody with real bad intentions, so I’m excited for them to let me go out there and have that type of fun. For every one (snap) they give me, they could give me more and I’ll take it. Because, at the end of the day, it’s ball. Whenever they give us that opportunity to do what we love to do, it’s exciting.”