The Los Angeles Chargers have an incredibly talented backup quarterback in Easton Stick, but his roller coaster of a performance in an NFL preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at SoFi Stadium raises speculation regarding consistency.
Stick, 27, rushed for a pair of touchdowns, but threw two interceptions, including one at the very end of the game inside the red zone to seal the team’s first preseason loss. He also had a fumble after a strip sack.
Deuce Vaughn’s moves are embarrassing Cowboys starters
He played the entire contest and finished with 233 passing yards on 21-for-41 completions and rushed for 63 yards on seven carries.
Stick showed glimpses of being a solid backup by threading the needle several times and also displayed toughness, getting back up after each one of the five sacks he suffered.
Chargers could have easily defeated the Saints with some more protection, especially since the New Orleans quarterbacks struggled just as much.
Jameis Winston still not quite there yet
Jameis Winston was the first overall pick in 2015 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and nearly a decade later has yet to break through.
Winston, 29, has been with the Saints since 2020 and is still fighting for the QB1 spot, albeit poorly.
He finished the win over LA with 169 passing yards on 13-for-21 completions, but was unable to finish any drive. Instead, kickers Wil Lutz and Blake Grupe made up for 16 of the 22 points scored by New Orleans.
Stick, meanwhile, is entering his fifth season with the Chargers after they drafted him in the fifth round in 2019. He has yet to even give Justin Herbert — who LA selected sixth overall a year later — a bit of a challenge for the starting position.