Update: Justin Herbert will not play in the regular season finale.

The Chargers have secured a playoff berth, but lost the AFC West title race to the Broncos after their loss to the Texans. Their Week 18 game against Denver will determine their final seeding for the Wild Card round.

Currently with the No. 6 seed, the Bolts can still be the No. 5 seed. However, it seems unlikely as Los Angeles not only has to beat the Broncos, but the Texans also have to lose to the Colts. Houston needs a win to stay alive for the AFC South division title and Indianapolis, which is starting rookie Riley Leonard, has nothing at stake.

That likely leaves L.A. with either the 6 or 7 seed. That raises the question of whether head coach Jim Harbaugh should rest the starters for the final regular-season game.

The team is dealing with numerous injuries, including their offensive line and quarterback Justin Herbert himself is still nursing a hand injury. The Broncos have one of the league’s best pass rushes, which presents a significant injury risk.

Three seasons ago, in the Week 18 game against the Broncos, then-head coach Brandon Staley chose to play his starters despite the team already being locked into the No. 5 seed. Wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a back fracture and was carted off the field. The injury ruled him out for the playoff game the following week.

Given that, the potential small seeding improvement is not worth risking the health of the core players needed for the playoffs. The only valid reason for playing starters is that a game off could cause players to become “rusty,” potentially leading to a flat performance in their first playoff game after a longer layoff.

Harbaugh said following the loss to Houston that the team hadn’t decided whether the starters would play. He is scheduled to speak to reporters on Monday, which could provide more clarity.