Chargers' Brandon Staley defends playing injured Justin Herbert to the end in loss to Jaguars: 'He felt good'

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Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was drilled by the media on Sunday over his decision to continue to play injured quarterback Justin Herbert during the team’s blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars – a decision he said Herbert made. 

Staley defended the call to play Herbert through the entirety of the game, despite trailing by 28 late in the fourth quarter, saying the third-year signal caller "felt good" and was adamant about staying in.

Quarterback Justin Herbert, #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers, passes against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half of an NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Sunday, September 25, 2022.  (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

"He wanted to be out there with his teammates. He felt good, and he wanted to finish the game," Staley said. 

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"He wanted to give our group some energy. We were gonna protect him there at the end with really sound protection – as best we could, but it was more about him wanting to finish with his guys. 

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, #10, is hit after throwing a pass during the NFL regular season game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 25, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.  (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Herbert, 24, suffered fractured rib cartilage after a gritty game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 15. Staley said they weighed the decision up until the last minute and throughout the game. 

"Trust me, there’s no one that’s thinking about it more than I am," he