EL SEGUNDO. Calif. -- The battle for the backup quarterback slot has a spotlight, especially with starting quarterback Justin Herbert, who is dealing with a foot injury.
Luis Perez has thrown his hat in the ring after being brought in August 6th. Everything has been quick.
Jim Harbaugh being the head coach of the Chargers means that every player needs to adapt quickly, and Perez is no different.
"For a guy who's been here [since Tuesday], pretty outstanding," Harbaugh said. "Now we want more. But he's attacking it. He's here early, staying late. Doing everything in his power."
Perez was thrown into the fire after Easton Stick and Max Duggan had subpar performances on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks.
He went in for the last two series of the game, and on his second pass, he rainbowed a beauty into the hands of Jaylen Johnson for 36 yards. They got into the red zone, but the offense stalled on 4th down when Perez went to receiver Brenden Rice in the end zone, where he had tight end Luke Benson underneath.
During their second drive, he took what the defense gave him: Isaiah Spiller underneath for three catches for 18 yards. The drive ended on a turnover on downs.
Perez finished the game 5-for-12 with a team-high 61 passing yards after only two days of practice.
"Yeah, just enhanced times ten because I only had two practices and then played," Perez said. "The coaches did a great job helping me, staying after and giving me stuff that I was comfortable with. They didn't go out and give me stuff right before or stuff I wasn't comfortable with."
The newest Chargers quarterback has been in the NFL, AAF, XFL, XFL 2.0, USFL, and the UFL. He won the XFL 2.0 championship in 2023 and was MVP of the game. He has been in an NFL camp before with the Rams, Eagles, and Lions, but never made the 53-man roster.
Perez's accomplishments and career are even more astonishing when he finds out that his primary sport in high school was bowling, but he never played high school football. He was going to go to college on a bowling scholarship.
He began watching videos on YouTube and quickly learned, which he decided to walk on at Southwestern College. He went from QB9 to QB1 fairly rapidly and transferred to Texas A&M–-Commerce. In 2017, he won the NCAA Division II National Championship.
Work ethic is something that he has learned and mastered. That is why he is still playing.
"He's in here late every day trying to pick it up," Chargers Offensive Coordinator Roman said Tuesday. "Ended up going out there and doing a pretty good job. He's got a lot to learn, a lot to catch up on. He's sprinting to do it and really feels the sense of urgency. Been really impressed by that."
Casey Bauman was released a couple of days after the game against the Seahawks, who happened to be QB4 when Perez was signed.
"For being here just four days, he acclimated himself well," Harbaugh said. "We're excited about him and coaching him up. … Now we want more."
What does more mean? Fighting and not settling for anything. There is a chance for him to climb the ladder.
In turn, Perez knows that Harbaugh is the right coach for him. Harbaugh is considered a quarterback whisper in the NFL and college football, so he will get plenty of coaching.
"I would say he's very hands on, and I really like that about him," Perez said. "Him, obviously, playing quarterback at such a high level, any knowledge I could get, any nuggets I can get is huge. He's constantly sharing stuff with us. One little thing we could get a day, once we stack those, we become better football players."
One coach Perez always seems to be around is quarterback coach Shane Day, whom Justin Herbert wanted back as the starting quarterback when Harbaugh took over as the head coach.
"He's unbelievable," Perez said about Day. "He takes so much time out of his day to just teach me the offense and go out there and the intricacies within each play. Because playing quarterback is not that easy, so you have to make sure that you're detailed in everything that you do. He's very detailed, and he's trying to pass all that on to me."
Perez raved about how the quarterback room welcomed him in and felt he had quickly adjusted well.
"They've been awesome," Perez said. "All of them, Max [Duggan], Easton [Stick], Justin [Herbert]. Anytime I have a question or anything like that, I'll go to them and they'll answer it, just talking through stuff I have questions on."
Perez grew up in Chula Vista, CA, so he is living out his childhood dream when he puts on the powder blue jersey and the bolt on the helmet. He remembers watching LT Drew Brees, Junior Seau, and Philip Rivers as a kid.
Now he is wearing the same jersey as them.
"It's awesome. I grew up a Charger fan my whole life so being able to be here and wear the Chargers uniform, it's a great feeling," Perez said Tuesday after practice. "Not only for myself, but for my family. I'm just happy to be here, grateful and ready to keep learning."
"Keep learning" is vital, especially in the NFL. Perez must be ready to show that he has adapted quickly, showing his skills and giving them a reason to keep him.
There was a positive showing against the Seahawks, and now he must impress against the Rams on Saturday.
"I can guarantee the guy has an opportunity," Harbaugh said.
