Justin Herbert’s On-Field Gesture After Beating the Eagles Speaks Volumes

The Los Angeles Chargers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 22-19 in overtime on Monday Night Football, and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is going viral for his attempt to get out of an on-field interview with ESPN's Laura Rutledge.

Rutledge persisted with the former Oregon Ducks quarterback, and his response was caught by ESPN's cameras. Herbert has been known to have a team-first mentality, often giving credit to his teammates whenever speaking to the media.

"I'm trying to celebrate with my team," Herbert said to Rutledge while trying to walk away from Rutledge.

Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert Laura Rutledge sideline postgame interview Philadelphia Eagles NFL oregon ducks — Dec 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge (left) interviews Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I'm trying to celebrate with my team."

Justin Herbert was reluctant to do a postgame interview with ESPN's Laura Rutledge. #NFL #MNF pic.twitter.com/zq1Ho4yN1u
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 9, 2025

Herbert's Team-First Mentality

After beating the Eagles on Monday Night Football only a week after having surgery on his land, however, Herbert is the clear choice for a postgame interview. Some criticized Herbert for the encounter with Rutledge, but the Los Angeles quarterback did stop and give an interview.

"The defense played incredible. They came up with so many big stops today. So, so proud to be able to play for those guys, and the way they compete down in, down out is really fun to watch," Herbert said.

When it came time to talk about himself, however, the former Ducks star was less forthcoming. Rutledge asked Herbert how his broken hand was feeling, and he had a quick response:

"I feel pretty good, thank you," said Herbert.

Rutledge asked Herbert about the Chargers' team and its ability to pick up a win over the Eagles, and the quarterback was again more talkative.

"Not the way we drew it up, but the battle in these guys, it's so much fun, and I'm so honored to be a part of this team. They never quit, and it's just fun to be a part of. We'll watch the film and we'll have to get better at it and keep moving forward," Herbert said to Rutledge.

Nothing New for Herbert

As Ducks fans know by now, Herbert is not known for loving the spotlight. The quarterback from Eugene, Oregon, has seemingly always had a team-first mentality, and since he entered the NFL, Herbert has consistently avoided the cameras and kept his social media presence to a minimum. In fact, the Chargers social media team has often made light of Herbert's attempt to dodge their cameras before practice.

In 2019, Herbert won the William V. Campbell Trophy, considered the "academic Heisman," and his acceptance speech was full of gratitude for those around him. He thanked his parents, his brothers, his coaches, Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens, and he ended his acceptance speech with a message to his teammates:

"Thank you to every member of our football team for making this year so special for the Oregon Ducks. I can't wait to play in the Rose Bowl for our last game. Thank you again, and go Ducks."

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Herbert's Hand Injury

Herbert underwent surgery for a break in his left hand seven days before playing the Eagles on Monday Night Football, and his toughness was on display the entire night. Throughout the game, Herbert could be seen trying to protect his left hand, especially when being taken to the ground.

The Chargers quarterback gritted his team to a win despite being sacked seven times. Herbert led Los Angeles with 66 rushing yards, including some read-option runs that resembled Herbert's MVP performance in the Rose Bowl while at Oregon.