Justin Herbert is doing something he has never done in his NFL career: play in the preseason. Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced that every starter other than Khalil Mack and Derwin James will play in the Chargers' preseason game on Sunday, marking a career first for the Chargers' signal-caller.
The only year in which Herbert would have played in the preseason was his rookie season in 2020. However, there were no preseason games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From there, former head coach Brandon Staley took a cautious approach with Herbert and the starters in the preseason.
Various starters played in the preseason last year for the Bolts but not Herbert, who was dealing with a foot injury at the time.