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Following the Los Angeles Rams' Week 2 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, safety Quentin Lake made controversial comments about Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on a podcast hosted by Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Lake described Herbert's performance, in which he threw two interceptions, as "throwing deli meat out there." The remarks went viral, prompting Lake to reach out to Herbert via text message to apologize.
"I don't know if he read it," Lake said Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times. "He probably says, 'I don't care about it anymore. I'm not trying to see this. It doesn't matter. You said what you said.' But at the same time, I felt like it was right for me to at least say, 'Hey, man, I didn't mean it in any disrespectful way.'" Lake also added after the game that Herbert "was seeing ghosts out there" and that the Rams' defense expected him to make mistakes.
Herbert, for his part, told reporters this week that he hadn't heard about the comments. "I haven't looked into it, haven't heard anything about it, so I can't really make a comment about it," Herbert said. "We're really just focused on what's going on in the building, playing football and doing what we can and doing our best to, you know, go put our best effort out on Sunday. And that's all that really matters. Anything outside of that is out of our control."
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh defended his quarterback after reviewing the game film. "I thought he played and did his job exceptionally well," Harbaugh said. "You know, two throws he would have liked to have back." Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is in his first season in that role, also dismissed Lake's opinion on Thursday. "People are saying whatever they want with whatever facts they have when we're not living up to expectations," McDaniel said. "Keep it moving."
Herbert has thrown an interception in every start this season, leading the NFL with 10 interceptions and posting the lowest QBR among starting quarterbacks at 32.5. Despite his career-worst start, Herbert is not expected to be traded. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last month that the Chargers would not move their franchise quarterback. "The person cut me off mid-sentence, stopped me in my tracks and said, 'Let me be very clear about this: we have never even discussed that idea. Should we trade Justin Herbert has never been uttered in our organization, nor will it be,'" Schefter said. "This is what the person said. I didn't even hear a 'we will listen.' They won't discuss it, they won't think about it."
The Chargers, who have not scored a touchdown in their last nine quarters, will host the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Texans are 2-5 this season, with both wins coming in their last three games.
Key Analysis
Lake's apology highlights the fine line between competitive banter and professional respect in the NFL. While Herbert's on-field struggles are undeniable, the Chargers' unwavering commitment to their franchise quarterback underscores their long-term vision. As the team prepares to face the Texans, the focus remains on rectifying a sputtering offense and silencing outside noise.
Originally reported by cbssports.