Chargers' Justin Herbert faces offseason of generational grilling after playoff flop

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is in for a brutal offseason.

Chargers fans understand that many things went into Herbert’s flop of a showing in the NFL playoffs against the Houston Texans. The area Jim Harbaugh called out after the game was especially bad.

Drops and bad play around Herbert, the biggest roster weaknesses exposed against a great defense and combined with an almost Philip Rivers-like desperation to take risks and make plays made things worse than they probably should have been for Herbert.

Unfortunately, a four-interception showing in the biggest game of his career is still a four-interception showing in the biggest game of his career. It has onlookers running back to quarterback rankings, comparisons to the likes of Joe Burrow, and quite a bit more.

Here’s a sampling of what Herbert and fans will have to deal with this offseason—which should also serve as a warning for players and fans alike to bunker down and get ready.

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Bad Herbert game. Opening drive looked nice and then the pass rush started to heat up. I thought they'd do so much more moving him + helping the offensive line, but it's mostly been 4, 5 out in static pockets and Herbert trying to win everything with one throw. https://t.co/QbffJdWVit
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 12, 2025

How I’m watching the whole world realize Justin Herbert is a Social Media Quarterback… pic.twitter.com/FutafYxrCN
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 12, 2025

The national media better hold Justin Herbert accountable for his playoff performances like they do to Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 12, 2025

Justin Herbert in the top QB discussions pic.twitter.com/KuiNerDiol
— NBA Slime (@TerryFranconia) January 12, 2025

Justin Herbert’s been in 2 playoff games in 5 years.

In both games, he was a road favorite against an AFC South champ that precisely no one believed in.

In both games, he played about as poorly as one can play in the 2nd half, leading to horrific losses.

“But the arm talent!”
— nick wright (@getnickwright) January 12, 2025

justin herbert interceptions thrown, by year pic.twitter.com/ufwUFhwfiG
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) January 12, 2025

Out of 214 QB performances in the playoffs over the last 10 seasons, that Justin Herbert game ranks 213th in EPA per pass play.

Only Brian Hoyer's game for the Texans in a 30-0 loss to the Chiefs in the 2015 playoffs ranked lower.
— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) January 12, 2025

Justin Herbert in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/nDbVh441WC
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) January 12, 2025

Year 5, two poor playoff performances, and zero playoffs wins. I wonder what the pundits will say about Justin Herbert.
— GOWIE (@DaKidGowie) January 12, 2025