Justin Herbert had never started a preseason game in his career until Thursday night against the Rams, and he didn't waste the opportunity. After a shaky start that included a lost fumble, Herbert uncorked a play-action shot down the seam that Quentin Johnston hauled in for a 65-yard touchdown, the second-longest catch of Johnston's career, to put the Chargers up 7-3.
He’s coming
It was a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance by design. Herbert and the starters played just two series total, and once the touchdown drive wrapped in 14 seconds, his night was over and Trey Lance took the reins. That's been the plan all preseason for Jim Harbaugh, who's kept his franchise quarterback's workload minimal heading into a real 2026 opener.
The Rams didn't need long to answer. Fourth-string quarterback Ty Simpson, who spent the entire preseason lighting up backups and starters alike, found receiver Brennan Presley for an 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put Los Angeles' other team back on top. Jon Gruden's reaction to the score sums up how much buzz Simpson built up this summer.
TY SIMPSON!
Simpson's answer wasn't a one-off. He finished the preseason having gone 47-for-60 for 382 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions, a 109.9 passer rating that's gotten Rams fans daydreaming about their QB depth chart beyond Matthew Stafford. Thursday's game ended up going the Rams' way in full, with Los Angeles edging Los Angeles 20-18 to finish the preseason unbeaten.
For the Chargers, the loss doesn't sting the way a regular-season defeat would, but the Herbert flash was the entire point of the exercise. He'd never taken a preseason snap before this year, and Harbaugh wanted him to get live reps under his belt without exposing him to a full workload. Mission accomplished: one touchdown drive, one signature throw, and back to the bench.
Both teams now shift into cutdown mode with the 53-man roster deadline looming, and Thursday's tape will matter more for the names fighting for the back end of those rosters than for the final score. Simpson's summer, though, is the story that's going to follow the Rams into the regular season no matter what jersey he's wearing when it starts.