Chargers are putting more pressure on Justin Herbert than ever before

The Los Angeles Chargers are putting an awful lot of responsibility on Justin Herbert's shoulders heading into next NFL season.

Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) reacts after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Justin Herbert may very well be one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in football, and if he were playing for a team like the Dallas Cowboys instead of the Los Angeles Chargers, you can bet that the criticisms of the 27-year-old would be significantly louder.

Herbert is a very gifted passer. In terms of pure talent, he is unquestionably one of the most dynamic signal-callers in the NFL. However, he has made the playoffs just twice thus far in his five-year career and has gone 0-2 in those appearances, most recently coughing up four interceptions in a Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans this past January.

Yes, Herbert absolutely deserved to be lambasted for his performance. Heck, he threw more picks in that one playoff game than he did throughout the entire regular season. Quarterbacks are largely judged on playoff success, and thus far, Herbert doesn't have any.

But it's also difficult to ignore the fact that the Chargers haven't exactly done the best job putting him in position to succeed, especially right now.

Los Angeles entered the offseason knowing it needed to upgrade at wide receiver. Ladd McConkey was the club's only reliable option at the position in 2024, and with the Bolts boasting immense cap space, they were expected to be major players on the free-agent market.

Instead, the Chargers didn't sign any big-time free agents to help Herbert, and they also missed out on trades for receivers like D.K. Metcalf and George Pickens.

Los Angeles chose to pivot to the NFL draft, where it selected Tre Harris and KeAndre-Lambert Smith in Rounds 2 and 5, respectively. The Chargers also chose tight end Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round, which could ultimately represent a massive coup for LA.

But as far as wide outs are concerned, Los Angeles still only has one proven weapon: McConkey. Yes, the Chargers signed Mike Williams, but he will essentially just be replacing Joshua Palmer, who departed for the Kansas City Chiefs. Keep in mind: Williams has caught just 40 passes over the last two seasons. This is not the same dynamic vertical threat from several years ago.

Los Angeles could reunite with Keenan Allen, who oddly remains on the open market in mid-May, but evidently, the Chargers don't have much of an interest in bringing him back.

This puts even more of an onus on Herbert to be special, but there is only so much the University of Oregon product can do without a collection of viable playmakers at his disposal.

Honestly, Los Angeles should sign Allen to spell a dependable veteran pass-catcher for Herbert. Otherwise, Herbert may run into the same problems he did in 2024. There is no guarantee that any of the Chargers' rookies will produce, and unless Quentin Johnston finally breaks out, Herbert could be in for a very frustrating, pressure-packed 2025 campaign.

Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) looks to pass during the second quarter against the Houston Texans in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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