Exposing the ugly truth about where Chargers' Justin Herbert ranks among NFL QBs

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is unquestionably one of the most gifted players at his position in the NFL. He possesses tremendous arm talent and has a terrific knack for seeing the field, the latter of which led to Herbert throwing just three interceptions last season.

However, Herbert is also one of the most heavily criticized quarterbacks in the league due much in part to his complete lack of playoff success. Heck, you know how we just mentioned that Herbert threw three picks during the 2024 regular season? Well, he threw four in one game during the Chargers' Wild Card Round playoff lost to the Houston Texans.

There are absolutely reasons to question Herbert's acumen as a genuinely elite signal-caller in a sport where postseason triumphs are paramount, and that's why he is rarely mentioned among the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL.

For example, Pro Football Focus ranked him eighth as a "high-end starter," which is obviously still really good, but not quite elite. Notably, Matthew Stafford — who wasn't great in 2024 — was still ranked ahead of Herbert, which almost certainly has to do with the fact that Stafford has a Super Bowl victory under his belt.

You know who else was superior to Herbert in those rankings? Jalen Hurts, who certainly isn't as talented as Herbert, but just won a championship and already has a pair of Super Bowl appearances to his name, regardless of the fact that he has strongly benefited from playing on loaded teams.

Herbert doesn't even have a playoff win just yet, so it's honestly hard to include him in the top-five conversation, especially with stars like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in the picture. And think about it: both Allen and Jackson has widely been criticized for their playoff failures, and they have a bunch of postseason wins on their respective resumes.

That's the thing with Herbert: he is a million-dollar talent with a ten-cent resume, and that absolutely matters when it comes to ranking him amongst his peers.

It should also be noted that the 27-year-old hasn't progressed all that much since his NFL inception in 2020. He threw over 30 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons. Since then, he has reached 25 touchdowns only once.

This isn't to say that Herbert hasn't developed. The fact that he has tossed a grand total of 10 picks since 2023 is undoubtedly impressive. But being a great quarterback is about more than just being careful with the football. I mean, that's what game managers are for.

Now, in fairness to Herbert, he did not have a great group of weapons last season. In fact, outside of Ladd McConkey, he didn't really have much at all. But the other quarterbacks on that aforementioned list have all experienced their own share of raw deals in that area, too. Just look at Mahomes in 2024, for example.

But it's also on the quarterback to develop his receivers, and Herbert will be tasked with that responsibility next season with incoming rookies Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, both of whom figure to play major roles in the Chargers' offense next fall. You could even throw rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II into the conversation.

The 2025 campaign will represent a major test for Herbert, who has been to the playoffs just twice in five years and holds an 0-2 record in those games. It's about time for the former No. 6 overall pick to truly establish himself as an elite quarterback, as that is something he has yet to achieve.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. — May 12, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) talks with receiver Derius Davis (12) and during offseason workouts at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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