Is Justin Herbert playing today? Chargers QB's status revealed for preseason opener vs. Saints

Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers head into the 2025 season with a strong desire for redemption. In their first season under Jim Harbaugh, the star quarterback led them to a postseason trip. However, they lost to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.

The Chargers are aiming to improve on last year's performance and advance further in the playoffs. With less than a month before the regular season kicks off, they will face the New Orleans Saints in their second preseason game on Sunday.

LA started backup quarterback Trey Lance against the Detroit Lions on July 31, leaving Herbert out entirely. Lance completed 13 of his 20 passing attempts in an strong performance that saw him record 120 yards and two touchdowns.

The team is also expected to sit Herbert versus New Orleans on Sunday, with Taylor Heinicke set to be the starter.

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Herbert and other Chargers starters are not expected to receive any noteworthy preseason snaps. The quarterback has never played in an exhibition game in his pro career, so this is not an unusual experience for him.

Meanwhile, the Saints announced that Spencer Rattler will be their QB1 against LA.

The next time Chargers fans could see their franchise quarterback in action is in Week 1 of the regular season. LA is scheduled to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 6.

How to watch the Chargers vs. Saints preseason game on Sunday

Trey Lance led the LA Chargers to a dominant 34-7 win in the Hall of Fame Game against the Detroit Lions on July 31. The team will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, looking to go 2-0 in the preseason. Some players will get another chance to show why they should be included on the final 53-man roster.

SoFi Stadium will host the game, which is scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. ET. It will be shown nationally by NFL Network, and locally on CBS 2 in Los Angeles and FOX 8 in New Orleans.

Another option is to watch the game via streaming services like FuboTV, NFL+, DirecTV, Hulu Live TV and Sling TV.

Game details:

Date and Time: Sunday, Aug. 10 at 4:05 p.m. ET

Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

TV: NFL Network

Announcers: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (color analyst), Jaime Maggio (sideline reporter)

Live Streaming: FuboTV, NFL+, DirecTV Stream, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV

About the author

Habib Timileyin has been an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda for 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, and found himself drawn to the NFL about a decade ago.

Habib's favorite team is the Cincinnati Bengals and he particularly enjoyed their run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. The 2016 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots is his most favorite of all time, and if given a chance to go back in time, he would love to witness the Patroits’ incredible comeback from being 28-3 down to winning 34-28.

Habib admires Tom Brady for his journey from being in a low draft position to achieving immense success in the game. His favorite coach of all time is Bill Belichick.

Habib likes to study intricate details of a story before reporting on it, and compares information among several reputable sources to ensure accuracy. When he's not writing about the NFL, Habib is likely watching Soccer, Basketball or enjoying a good movie on sports.

Know More

LA Chargers Nation! Check out the latest Chargers Schedule and dive into the Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez