Chargers' Easton Stick: Emergency QB versus Arizona
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Stick (coach's decision) is inactive for Monday's contest against the Cardinals.
Stick will operate as the team's emergency quarterback in Week 7 versus Arizona. The 29-year-old will only enter the game if Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinicke are forced to exit.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: One of three QBs active
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Stick is active along with Taylor Heinicke as options at quarterback behind starter Justin Herbert (ankle) in Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Herbert didn't take any first-team reps during Week 3 prep while nursing a high-ankle sprain, managing just one limited practice Wednesday through Friday. Despite the lack of practice activity, Herbert convinced the coaching and training staffs that he is able to start after completing a pregame warmup. Herbert should take every snap Sunday so long as the game is competitive and he doesn't suffer a setback with the ankle, but Stick might be first in line to get reps if Herbert should exit the contest. Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that Stick would have been first in line to start Week 3 if Herbert couldn't, though the coach backed off that stance a bit by Friday, telling Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site that he has "a lot of faith" in both Stick and Heinicke being capable of stepping in for Herbert, if necessary.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: In line to start Saturday
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Stick is slated to start Saturday's preseason game against the Rams, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Stick also got the start in the Chargers' preseason opener against the Seahawks and will get the nod again this weekend after turning in a good week of practice, according to coach Jim Harbaugh. Of late, Stick has been filling in for franchise QB Justin Herbert, who's working his way back from a plantar fascia injury in his right foot.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Will fill in for Herbert
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While Justin Herbert recovers from an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot, Stick is slated to fill in as the Chargers' top QB, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Per the report, Herbert is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, but while the Chargers' franchise QB is sidelined, Stick will fill in, with Max Duggan and rookie Casey Bauman in reserve. Stick got starts down the stretch last season after Herbert landed on IR with a finger injury, and he's still the next man up the team's QB room ahead of Week 1.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Re-signs with Los Angeles
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The Chargers re-signed Stick on Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
The North Dakota State product is now in line to remain in Los Angeles after agreeing to a new deal with the Chargers. Stick appeared in five games (four starts) for the Chargers in 2023, throwing for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He's expected to remain a serviceable backup quarterback option if Justin Herbert were to go down in 2024.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Underwhelming in season finale
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Stick completed 28 of 47 passes for 258 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Chiefs. He rushed the ball 13 times for 77 yards and also lost a fumble.
Stick drew his fourth consecutive start with Justin Herbert (finger) sidelined. Despite taking to the air 47 times, he put up a relatively modest yardage total while averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt. He did show plenty of playmaking ability as a rusher, but the end result was still an uninspiring effort for the Chargers' offense as they mustered only four field goals. In five games this season, Stick accounted for only four touchdowns while turning the ball over five times. He's set to hit free agency and will hope to remain the backup in Los Angeles or land a second-string job elsewhere around the league.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Taking over as starting quarterback
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Stick will step in as the Chargers' starting quarterback beginning Thursday against the Raiders with Justin Herbert (finger) set to undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Stick played his first snaps of the season Sunday after Herbert fractured his right index finger late in the second quarter. Though he's in his fifth season with the Chargers, Stick has been limited to just two career appearances while Herbert, and Philip Rivers before him, have been paragons of durability. Stick has completed just 14 of 25 pass attempts for 183 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions over his 38 career regular-season snaps, making him somewhat of an unknown commodity heading into the final four games of the regular season. During a larger sample of action in three games this past preseason, Stick completed 44 of 73 passes (60.2 percent) for a paltry 5.2 yards per attempt and a 1:2 TD:INT, though he did show some running ability (11 carries for 82 yards).
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Ineffective in relief
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Stick completed 13 of his 24 attempts for 179 yards in Sunday's 24-7 loss to the Broncos.
A second-quarter injury to a finger on Justin Herbert's throwing hand set the stage for Stick to play in just his second professional game since he was drafted back in 2019. The backup predictably struggled early, and by the time Stick seemed to get into a rhythm, the contest was essentially over. That being said, the 28-year-old did showcase his arm strength on an impressive 57-yard pass to Quentin Johnston in stride to set up the team's lone score in the fourth quarter, and the Chargers have largely kept the North Dakota State prospect on the roster over the years because they value his plus speed (4.62 40-yard dash). Stick could be in a position to get more reps in the immediate future with a Thursday night battle against the Raiders on tap next, and given that the Chargers are effectively out of playoff contention, it's possible they could roll with Stick longer than just one week.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Staying put with Bolts
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The Chargers re-signed Stick on Monday, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Stick, a 2019 fifth-round selection by the Chargers, is now slated to remain with the team for at least one more year following Monday's signing. The 27-year-old has operated as a backup quarterback behind Justin Herbert across the last three seasons, and he's in line to do so again in 2023. Chase Daniel, Los Angeles' other reserve signal caller, has yet to renew his expired contract.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Healthy scratch once again
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Stick (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Browns.
Stick has yet to be active for a game this season while operating as the No. 3 quarterback behind Justin Herbert and Chase Daniel. The 2019 fifth-round pick has only appeared in one NFL contest in his career, competing his only pass for four yards across two offensive snaps while playing for the Chargers during the 2020 campaign.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Starting against Niners
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Stick will start Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.
The Chargers have only three quarterbacks on their roster, including one (Justin Herbert) who will be held out for the entire preseason despite being healthy. Chase Daniel is the favorite for the backup job and got the start in the first preseason game, completing 15 of 24 passes for 104 yards in the first half of a 13-6 win over the Rams. Stick then completed seven of seven passes for 63 yards in the second half, with the Chargers getting only four drives and 21 plays after the break. He should have more pass attempts Sunday, even if it's a 50/50 split in terms of quarters/halves.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Riding pine Week 12
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Stick (coach's decision) is inactive for the Chargers' Week 12 road trip to Buffalo.
Stick was demoted to the No. 3 quarterback role once Tyrod Taylor returned to the team Week 9 from a ribs/chest injury. The 2019 fifth-round draft choice from North Dakota State had made one game appearance in the NFL, completing his lone pass attempt for a four-yard gain Week 7 against the Jaguars.
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Chargers' Easton Stick: Ready to compete in 2020?
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Stick and Tyrod Taylor are the only quarterbacks under contract with the Chargers for 2020, Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports.
With Philip Rivers rumored to be headed for a new team, it isn't out of the question for Stick to be part of a position battle during training camp. Of course, the 24-year-old likely would be the underdog in a 1v1 competition with Taylor, and there's also a pretty good chance the Chargers use significant cap space or an early draft pick on a quarterback. The 2019 fifth-round pick was a healthy scratch throughout his rookie season, serving as the No. 3 QB behind Rivers and Taylor.
