Justin Herbert has taken big jumps each of his first two seasons in the NFL. Entering his third, he may be taking one into elite company.
NFL personnel are expecting the Los Angeles Chargers and former Oregon Ducks star Herbert to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL by the end of the 2022 season.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added insight into where executives and coaches see Herbert’s game going next season while making an appearance on “Sportscenter” this week.
“This guy’s poised for a massive year-three jump. I’ve talked to a lot of people around the league who are very high-ranking and they say this guy will probably be a top-three quarterback by the end of the season,” Fowler said via Bleacher Report. “Every summer I do a project on the top 10 players at each position for ESPN+, I talk to 50-plus executives and coaches around the league.
“Right now, Herbert’s probably in that five-to-seven range in the quarterback rankings. Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford are slightly ahead of him, but they just came off a Super Bowl. But this guy gets into the playoffs, makes any sort of run, validates that big-time talent, he will probably be in that top three-to-four guy in the NFL.”
Herbert is coming off a sophomore year that resulted in him starting for the AFC in the Pro Bowl. He threw for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns — breaking Philip Rivers’ franchise record — for the Chargers last season.
That came after winning Rookie of the Year in 2020 when he threw for 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
While those numbers are historic and impressive, the only knock from pundits about Herbert is that he hasn’t made the playoffs yet — which probably says more about the Chargers’ struggles than Herbert’s greatness, however. The Chargers went 6-9 his rookie season and fell just short last year at 9-8 after a Week 17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chargers have struggled on the defensive side of the ball during Herbert’s tenure, but that’s expected to improve in 2022. Los Angeles spent the offseason adding big names like pass rusher Khalil Mack and cornerback J.C. Jackson to their defense hoping to improve from the No. 29 scoring defense in the league.
That, plus the new tools the Chargers added on offense, should set them up for a playoff appearance. Another great season from Herbert should fuel that rise, placing him among the best quarterbacks in the league.
– Aron Yohannes