Usually, quarterback snaps during the NFL preseason are dominated by second- and third-string passers who have something to prove, but occasionally, you may see one of the league’s best signal-callers out for a drive.

That will be the case for Week 2 of the 2025 preseason when the Chargers take on the Rams in an L.A. matchup on Saturday. Jim Harbaugh revealed Thursday that Justin Herbert, who is entering his sixth NFL season, would start against the Rams along with a majority of the Chargers’ other healthy starters.

It may be quite the adjustment for Herbert, who has never played in a preseason game in his career.

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Here’s what to know about Herbert making his preseason debut on Saturday.

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Why is Justin Herbert playing in the preseason?

Harbaugh said Thursday that Herbert and all of the team’s other healthy starters would begin Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams, only excluding defenders Khalil Mack and Derwin James. The starters will play “a series, could be two,” according to Harbaugh.

Per the Chargers’ team site, it was Herbert who approached Harbaugh about getting extra reps this preseason.

“It’s important to see a pass rush and get a feel for getting the ball out and just seeing a game before you actually play [in the regular season],” Herbert said. “It was actually me going to him and saying, ‘Hey, would it be OK if I went in and played?’ Because I think in years past the plan was to rest.”

Herbert said that the original plan was for him to play in Week 1 of the preseason, but the offensive line reshuffling due to Rashawn Slater’s injury altered those plans. 

 “I just thought it was something that can help,” Herbert said of playing in the preseason, per the Chargers’ site. “I just thought this was something that could be good for me and good for the team.”

Harbaugh also noted that his players are seeking to get on the field, explaining the decision to send out Herbert and other top contributors.

“Our guys want to play. They want the first series of the season not to be the first series of the season,” Harbaugh said, per the Chargers’ site.

Herbert isn’t expected to play more than one or two drives, but the action will allow him and other Chargers to get a feel for game action before Week 1.

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Has Justin Herbert played in preseason before?

Perhaps the most notable part about Herbert starting in Saturday’s preseason game: He has never played in the preseason over his five years in the NFL.

Herbert was the Chargers’ starter in his 2020 rookie season, but there was no preseason that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021-23, he didn’t play in the preseason by his and the team’s choice, already being one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. In 2024, he was dealing with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot during the preseason.

So, when Herbert takes the field against the Rams on Saturday, it will be his first career preseason snaps.

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Chargers record with Justin Herbert

While the Chargers aren’t known for their slow starts quite to the extent of the Bengals, starting Herbert and the other first-team players in the preseason could be a sign of Harbaugh’s desire to come out of the gate hot in 2025.

Since the team moved to Los Angeles for the 2017 season, it has not won the AFC West. The Chargers’ last division title came in 2009 when they were in San Diego. Having Herbert at quarterback has certainly improved Los Angeles’ annual playoff hopes, having made the postseason twice with the star passer, but the Chargers have yet to take the next step as a legitimate Super Bowl threat in the AFC.

Getting Herbert preseason reps can only do so much, but perhaps it’s a step that helps Harbaugh’s unit in preparation for a huge Week 1 matchup against the Chiefs.

Here’s a look at how the Chargers have fared since Herbert took over as quarterback in 2020: