Who Should I Start? Max Duggan or Stetson Bennett

Monday, August 19, 12:49 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers are parting ways with quarterback Max Duggan. Following Justin Herbert's (plantar fascia) diagnosis of a plantar fascia injury in his right foot on August 1, the Chargers now have two healthy quarterbacks on their roster: Easton Stick and Luis Perez. Duggan was drafted by Los Angeles in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the prior regime before Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach on January 24. Throughout his rookie year, Duggan alternated between the practice squad and the active roster but did not see any regular-season action. He spent all four years at TCU and ended up third on the school's all-time passing list. Duggan was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy after his standout 2022 season, where he threw for 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns over 15 games and led the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff National Championship, though they lost to Georgia. In the preseason opener, Duggan was 4-of-7 for 41 yards but did not play in the Chargers' game against the Rams on Saturday. With Herbert's injury potentially affecting his performance throughout the season, the diminishing quarterback options for the Chargers are becoming a significant concern.

Saturday, August 24, 6:31 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett will serve as the backup for Week 1 and Week 2 of the regular season. This was expected to happen with Jimmy Garoppolo suspended for the first two weeks of the season. Bennett sat out of the preseason finale after starting the first two games. He threw for 437 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions during the preseason. Those aren't exactly great results, but Bennett isn't likely to see the field at all in 2024. Matthew Stafford should be full healthy and ready to go for the season opener. Garoppolo should take over as the primary backup once he's cleared to play, so Bennett is unlikely to play at all unless Stafford gets injured in the first two games.