Quentin Lake sent an apology to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert after calling Herbert’s throws "deli meat" on a podcast following the Rams’ 24-9 win over the Chargers last week. Lake made the comments during the St. Brown brothers podcast, hosted by Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and his brother, former NFL receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. The remarks quickly went viral, prompting Lake to reach out to Herbert by text.
Lake said he was speaking casually among friends when he joked about Herbert "throwing deli meat out there" and "seeing ghosts" during the game in which Herbert threw two interceptions, one of which Lake himself recorded. Speaking to The Times on Friday, Lake said he was unsure if Herbert had seen his apology but felt it was necessary to clarify his intention.
“I don’t know if he read it,” Lake said. “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.’”
The Rams safety explained that he was comfortable in the podcast setting, joking with former high school teammates, but acknowledged the wider reach of the comments.
“You know, I was with my boys,” Lake said. “I was in a comfortable environment. I was trying to say stuff funny. But looking back on it, they have a big platform. And when you say stuff like that, people are going to take it in ways that you may not mean it. … In no way shape or form was it supposed to be disrespectful.”
Herbert’s struggles this season have been well documented. The Chargers sit at 0-7, and Herbert has thrown only five touchdowns against 10 interceptions in seven games. He has been sacked 23 times and holds a career-low 61.8 completion percentage, averaging 199.7 passing yards per game. The Chargers’ ongoing issues have put further scrutiny on the quarterback’s performance.
Despite this, Lake praised Herbert as a "great" quarterback and noted the talent on the Chargers’ roster.
“Obviously there’s some things going on over there that they probably want to fix and probably want to polish up,” Lake said. “You look at their roster from top to bottom, [they’re] still very, very talented, him included.”
Lake’s interception was a major moment in the game, helping the Rams to their second straight win and improving their record to 4-4. The exchange between Lake and Herbert underlines the tension between the two teams this season, as both sides look to reverse their fortunes.
As of Friday afternoon, Lake had not received a response from Herbert to his apology. The situation remains open, with the Rams safety expressing regret over any misunderstanding caused by his comments.
According to Yahoo Sports.
