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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert fractured the index finger on his right hand in the second quarter of Los Angeles’ 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

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Coach Brandon Staley said the team will do more tests before determining how long Herbert will be out. It is a short week for the 5-8 Chargers, who are at Las Vegas on Thursday night.

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Herbert had a fracture on the middle finger of his left non-throwing hand earlier this season.

Easton Stick had played two NFL snaps in five seasons with Los Angeles before he replaced the franchise quarterback with 1:52 remaining in the first half. Stick completed 13 of 24 passes for 179 yards in Herbert’s place.

Herbert was 9-for-17 for 96 yards with an interception before being injured, apparently while he was taken down awkwardly by Denver’s Zach Allen after throwing a pass. Herbert had been sacked four times and hit six times during the Chargers’ first six possessions with his teammates repeatedly missing their blocks against Denver’s pass rushers.

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Herbert, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, has been famously durable in his career.

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He fractured the middle finger on his left hand late in the third quarter of a game against Las Vegas on Oct. 1, when it got caught in the helmet of Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby after he threw a pass that was intercepted by Trevon Moehrig. Herbert wore a split on the hand during the fourth quarter and did not miss any games.

He also didn’t miss any time last year when he fractured rib cartilage during a Week 2 game at Kansas City.

Herbert signed a $252.5-million, five-year extension during the off-season.

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