Justin Herbert is a quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers, and was drafted sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. The 2020 Draft featured Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, and Herbert was the oft-overlooked third quarterback in the class. Nevertheless, he has established himself as a top QB in the league heading into his fourth season in 2023. A native of Eugene, Oregon, Herbert was a three-sport athlete at Sheldon High School and was named first-team All-State as a senior after throwing for 3,130 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Herbert enrolled at Oregon as a member of its 2016 recruiting class. He became the full-time starter for the Ducks in week 5 of his freshman year, and remained the team’s starter throughout his career there. Herbert was a winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2019, and was the 2020 Rose Bowl Offensive MVP, leading the Ducks to a 28-27 win over Wisconsin. After being drafted by the Chargers, he was named the team’s backup to start the season. Herbert then received an unexpected start in Week 2 against the Chiefs after Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung while receiving treatment for an injury. Standing at a height of 6-foot-6 and running a 4.68-second 40-yard dash, Justin Herbert surprised as a rookie. His strong arm and elite athleticism helped him win 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Heading into the 2021 season, Herbert looked poised to lead the Bolts to an AFC West division title in his second season, perhaps even the Super Bowl. At the very least, Herbert aimed to get the Chargers into the playoffs. While the Chargers would miss the playoffs that season, Herbert had a statistically great season, throwing for 5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and posting a 66.1 QBR. He ranked third in the league in total air yards (5,275) and was the QB2 in fantasy points per game (23.3). Per Next Gen stats, Herbert’s pass-catchers had the fourth most drops (40), and he finished 16th in true completion percentage (71.5%).
Herbert was second amongst quarterbacks in both passing yards and pass attempts (672) in 2021, likely aided by the fact that the Chargers were second in pace of play at 2.19 plays per minute. Herbert was one of the most impressive quarterbacks in several PlayerProfiler Advanced Metrics in 2021, ranking inside the top-10 in Deep Pall Completion Percentage, Play-Action Completion Percentage, True Passer Rating, Expected Points Added and Catchable Pass Rate. He also brought sneaky rushing upside to the Chargers’ offensive attack, ranking tenth among quarterbacks in rushing yards (302) and third in red zone carries with 23.
2022 was a down season for Herbert. He threw for the highest completion percentage of his career (68.2), but that was while posting the lowest Adjusted Air Yards Per Attempt (6.5) of his career. Herbert's main two receivers, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, were on the field together 40-percent of snaps or more in just four contests during the season. Herbert still managed to throw for 4739 yards (No. 2) with Gerald Everett as his main non-Austin Ekeler pass-catcher. He was also No. 1 in Money Throws with 53, No. 3 in True Completion Percentage (74.3-percent) and No. 7 in True Passer Rating (94.1). The Chargers fired Joe Lombardi after the season, citing a lack of explosive plays as one of the reasons. They then brought in Kellen Moore from Dallas.
2023 was a rough season for the Chargers. Mike Williams went down with an ACL tear early in the season. Ekeler's production fell off a cliff. Herbert himself missed four games with a broken finger. The offense underperformed under Moore and he and Brandon Staley were relived of their duties after the team failed to make the playoffs. Jim Harbaugh was named the new head coach in the 2024 offseason and Greg Roman was hired as offensive coordinator.
