The Chargers will rest a number of their starters this week with the playoffs clinched, and that includes Justin Herbert and a number of their defensive leaders.
One veteran play who will certainly take the field this weekend is wide receiver Keenan Allen who is aiming for upwards of $1 million in incentives he’s closing in on with one more game to go in the regular season.
Other players who could be in line for some extra cash are cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (needs one interception) and linebacker
Troy Dye (one sack) to activate a $125,000 boost for them both.
Aside from that, this game is going to be a fun watch for those who want to see the Chargers backups in action against one of the best teams in the NFL this year. Yes, it may not be fun by traditional measures, but seeing new faces on the field and letting yourself invite the unknown can be an enjoyable experience, even if you know the score may end up fairly lopsided in the worst way.
With that said, here are the final three things of the 2025 regular season that I’ll be watching for when these two teams take the field on Sunday.
1.) How will the offensive game plan differ for Trey Lance from Justin Herbert?
Although Lance has been at every Chargers practice this year behind Herbert, it doesn’t necessarily mean the offense will remain the exact same
Lance hasn’t logged many snaps as a starter and his control of the offense is at a much lower level. He’s also been a much more avid scrambler and runner. To keep Lance safe from throwing more than he has to against a very good Denver secondary, I can see Roman truly leaning into the quarterback’s legs which would also help shorten the game. That may be something the Chargers want to do to limit the tread on his player’s tires just before the postseason.
I expect a much quicker passing attack and an amped up amount of RPOs, as well. While Herbert may not be playing in this one, I can still see it being a fun contest to take in given the unknowns about the players who will be taking the field.
2.) Which backups will standout against the Broncos starters?
This week will be the best opportunity to see the Chargers backups in action since the 2025 preseason. Except this time it’ll be after months of additional NFL experience under their belt while also facing one of the league’s best team.
In this game, I’m looking to see how the coaching staff utilizes players like seldom-used wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith or 2025 fourth-round edger rusher Kyle Kennard. Will KLS manage to get a WR1’s workload or will that be fellow rookie Tre’ Harris? Will Kennard get the start this week next to Tuli? Bud Dupree?
Another name I’m excited to watch is former Raiders starting center Andre James who has seemingly been the team’s starting center in practice this week. Will he look like a marked improvement over Bozeman, despite playing with other backup offensive lineman?
This game is essentially being seen as a wash, but man I’m excited to see what some of these backups can do. I can’t wait to see if any show the coaches that they should be considered heavily in the team’s future plans.
3.) Will Keenan Allen achieve his incentives?
This week, contract incentives have become one of the bigger focuses of Week 18. With one game left in the regular season, a lot of money is on the line for players who are oh-so close to hitting certain milestones. One of those players for the Charges is veteran wideout Keenan Allen who stands to gain $1 million dollars in incentives if he has a strong game against the Broncos.
According to Allen’s contract, he needs just nine more receiving yards to hit 750 on the year which would trigger $250,000 bump in his pay. If he Allen records at least six receptions and reaches 80 total on the year, he’d receive another $750,ooo. Allen told the media that he is most certainly going to play with the intent of striving for those marks.
Now the nine receiving yards sounds easy enough, but the six catches may be tough unless they manufacture easy touches (much like his pop pass to become the Chargers’ all-time receptions leader earlier this year). Allen has only recorded six or more receptions in three games this season and the last time came in October when he caught 11 against the Colts. Otherwise, he’s coming off nine consecutive outings of five or less.
Knowing this team and how they feel about Allen, I could see them go out of their way to make sure Allen hits his marks. If he doesn’t, that’s a very tough break for the veteran who is playing on a much cheaper deal than he’d personally like at this point in his career.
