The Jaguars blasted the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday, taking a 29-10 lead through three quarters and a 38-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
But quarterback Justin Herbert — who is suffering from a broken rib cartilage — was still in the game throwing passes and taking hits in the final play.
Why?
“That’s a good question. He wanted to be out there with his teammates,” head coach Brandon Staley said after the game. “He felt good and he wanted to finish the game. He wanted to give energy to our group. And we were going to protect him there at the end with really solid protection – as best we could. But it was more because he wanted to finish off his guys.
As a follow-up, Staley was asked if there was a time when he should step in as head coach and retire his franchise quarterback given that he already has a significant injury.
” Of course yes. Trust me, all game long,” Staley said. “It’s the first thought throughout the game and at the end of the game. And so, believe me, nobody thinks about it more than me.
For his part, Herbert said he felt good on the pitch and didn’t want to disappoint his teammates.
“I didn’t want to get out and I felt like we were getting the ball out quickly,” Herbert said in his press conference. “That’s what the team needs and sometimes you have to put your goals and everything behind the team. I think that’s what’s most important.
“I felt safe there and didn’t want to leave my team.”
Staley said there were talks with Herbert on the sidelines about coming out, but the quarterback was adamant he wanted to stay.
“It was just the decision we made,” Staley said. “It was about finishing this game as a team and it was important for us that we did that.”
Staley was faced with several questions about leaving Herbert in the game and mostly came back to the same refrain. But he noted that Herbert’s rib problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
“I understand your whole line of questioning – I get it. Justin is going to feel like this when he plays outside. This injury is going to be there for a while. If you know the injury, it’s not like it’s going to be better next week or the week after. This thing is going to be around for a while. He felt good today. And we will continue to manage it.
Staley added that there is likely a point where he would take Herbert out of a game. But that point was clearly not on Sunday.
