Herbert has missed games in each of the last two seasons, so the Chargers need to evaluate whether Easton Stick — 0-4 in starts last season — can lead the team in his absence.
Harbaugh is confident in Stick’s abilities and plans to allow him to prove himself with the first-team offense.
“I’m going to tell him to go have at it and let it rip,” Harbaugh said.
He noted that Stick has shown significant improvement in the days leading to the matchup against Seattle. He will start and Harbaugh expects him to play a quarter-and-a half, or roughly 20 to 30 plays. After Stick, Max Duggan will take over, with Casey Bauman and Luis Perez, signed last Tuesday, also scheduled to get snaps.
Harbaugh mentioned Perez was signed to ignite competition among the quarterbacks. Hello, Duggan and Bauman. Harbaugh made it clear that Perez’s signing was a message for them to “step their game up.”
“I thought that Easton wasn’t having any competition,” Harbaugh said. “The only way to make someone better is to get some competition in there.”
