2020 Season Preview, Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
When the Kansas City Chiefs head to Los Angeles in Week 2, who will be quarterbacking the Chargers? That's the big question in this way-too-early game preview.
When the Chargers selected quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, I was of two minds.
First, good on the Chargers for doing the smartest thing in football: finding the quarterback in the draft that you want to hitch your wagon to for the years to come. It's the easiest way to build a contender in the NFL. Get a quarterback on a rookie contract, spend that extra money elsewhere, and have the quarterback outperform the cost of that rookie deal. If he stinks, try again in two years. It's extremely difficult to win without an elite quarterback or one at a financial value.
Second... Are we sure Justin Herbert is going to be good?
While the Packers (rightfully) earned the NFL's scorn for trading up for Utah State QB Jordan Love while Aaron Rodgers still has an expensive long-term deal on the books, the Chargers' selection of Herbert is roughly as uninspiring. If they had a legitimate chance to jump over the Miami Dolphins to land Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, I would have done that and taken Tua as the future of the franchise.
Regardless, that's a side-show to the Week 2 prediction, but an important one.
There's a chance, however unlikely, that Herbert starts by the first time the Chargers meet the Chiefs in 2020. To get the full advantage out of the QB-on-a-rookie-deal plan, the rookie should be starting. However, veteran Tyrod Taylor is competent enough and has been in the Chargers' offense, while Herbert will be coming into the offense for the first time, in an offseason held virtually.
Even with a continually strong roster and all of the offseason hype they typically garner, I can't talk myself into a team quarterbacked by either Herbert or Taylor taking a Week 2 victory over the team with Patrick Mahomes.
If you want the full spoilers on the Kansas City Chiefs' 2020 season, click here for my 2020 season prediction.
Click here for the Week 1 preview of Chiefs vs. Houston Texans.
