The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers will square off in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday, but the two teams will be treating this game a bit differently. The Rams always rest their starters in the preseason and they’ll continue to take that approach, unlike the Chargers.
Jim Harbaugh told reporters on Thursday that the Chargers will play their starters, including quarterback Justin Herbert. He said they will play a couple of series, around 6-8 plays. The two players who will not play are Khalil Mack and Derwin James, but the expectation is that other starters will take the field and play at least a series or two.
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The Rams’ second-team offense and defense will be tested by the Chargers’ starters for a little while in the first quarter, which will be a good challenge for them; last week against the Cowboys, Dallas rested all of its starters.
The Chargers had to cancel their joint practice with the Rams this week due to injuries, so it’s somewhat surprising that they’re playing their starters at all on Saturday. That seems to be the approach taken by a lot of teams this year, giving their top players at least a series or two of work in the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Chargers to play Justin Herbert, starters vs. Rams in preseason