Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert Avoids Injury Report, Discusses Foot Injury

September 4th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Justin Herbert didn’t make an appearance on the Chargers injury report, a clear indication that he’s good to go for Week 1. Before today’s report dropped, the quarterback made it clear that he’s past his foot injury, although he wouldn’t specify why he specifically missed weeks of practice.

Herbert was sidelined at the start of August and was spotted wearing a walking boot. It was reported that the franchise QB sustained a plantar fascia injury on July 31, although Herbert said today that he “didn’t have that.” The quarterback wouldn’t reveal what exact injury he had been dealing with, with the fifth-year pro opting to keep the issue quiet.

“You know, I think that’s just something that’s a personal thing that you’d like to keep to yourself,” Herbert said (h/t Alexander Insdorf of Bolt Beat). “And if it’s not something I have to put out there, then I think I’d like to keep that to myself, and to the doctors here especially.”

Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Herbert revealed that he didn’t suffer the injury at any exact moment, and the soreness gradually built up over a period of time. The QB also revealed that he’ll need to manage the injury throughout the upcoming campaign, which will include rehabbing and icing.

“It’s not really on my mind right now,” Herbert said of his foot (via Popper). “As long as we’re out in front of it, I think it’ll be all right.”

Herbert’s injury came at an unfortunate time for an offense that’ll be without former top wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The organization recently added a bit more insurance behind Herbert, adding veteran Taylor Heinicke to a QB room that already featured backup Easton Stick. Herbert was limited to 13 games last season thanks to a finger injury, but both the QB and the Chargers are hoping he can put forward a 17-game showing in 2024.

Justin Herbert Returns To Practice; Chargers Waive QB Max Duggan

August 19th, 2024 at 8:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Herbert returned to practice Monday, putting to rest any concerns about his availability for Week 1. While the standout Chargers quarterback sustained a plantar fascia injury July 31, he participated fully (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper) with the Bolts’ first-team offense during practice.

Although that workload did not include 11-on-11 work, Herbert appears in no danger of missing any regular-season time. The Chargers have now made the move to waive Max Duggan, the QB they made last year’s Mr. Irrelevant selection.

The Bolts have Herbert going into his fifth season. Throughout that time, Easton Stick has been part of Los Angeles’ roster. Stick moved from third-stringer to backup in 2023, with Chase Daniel‘s contract expiring and the longtime backup transitioning to a media role, and the North Dakota State QB1 between Carson Wentz and Trey Lance replaced Herbert following his season-ending finger injury last season. Stick re-signed with the Chargers this offseason on a one-year, $2.67MM deal, but Popper notes the team needs to consider shopping for another QB2.

Viewing the fifth-year reserve as having regressed this offseason, Popper points to Stick’s fumbled snap and two interceptions in Rams territory — coming after a pick in the Bolts’ preseason opener — as evidence this situation needs to be reexamined. Stick has also looked shaky in Bolts practices on the whole, though he started both preseason games in front of Duggan and recent addition Luis Perez. A veteran of the AAF, XFL and UFL, Perez remains on L.A.’s 90-man roster following the Duggan cut.

The Chargers re-signed Stick despite Jim Harbaugh having no ties to him, moving on from Duggan — whose TCU team eliminated Harbaugh’s Michigan squad in the 2022 CFP semifinals — weeks into camp. Duggan did not play in the Chargers’ second preseason game, seeing Perez replace Stick. The longtime Bolts backup will start the team’s preseason finale, per Harbaugh.

Los Angeles could certainly look into options following next week’s wave of cuts — teams must pare their rosters from 90 to 53 before 3pm CT on August 27 — or look into a trade. If the Bolts release Stick, they would take on $1.4MM in dead money.

As for Herbert, Popper adds he ditched his walking boot late last week. The Pro Bowl QB did not miss any time due to the rib injury he suffered in Week 2 of the 2022 season, powering the Bolts to the playoffs. Though, it took weeks for the strong-armed signal-caller to return to top form that season. The Chargers having Herbert back at work nearly three weeks before the season obviously represents a good sign, and it will be interesting to view the Bolts’ depth chart behind him once waiver claims come in next week.

In addition to waiving Duggan, the Chargers signed safety Jalyn Phillips and waived wide receiver Leon Johnson. Duggan bounced between the team’s active roster and practice squad last year, being signed to a reserve/futures contract in January.

Bolts’ Justin Herbert Sustains Foot Injury

August 1st, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Herbert‘s development in Jim Harbaugh‘s system will not include on-field work for a bit. The Chargers quarterback has sustained a foot injury that will keep him off the field, though the team announced this is not expected to threaten his regular-season availability.

The fifth-year passer sustained a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, per the Chargers, and at least a two-week period in a walking boot will follow. While this might not place Herbert’s Week 1 status in doubt, the Bolts are certain to be cautious with their centerpiece player in an effort to ensure no reinjury occurs.

This will halt Herbert’s work in Harbaugh’s offense and move Easton Stick — Herbert’s injury replacement once he sustained a season-ending finger injury late last year — back to first-team duties. Despite Herbert not missing a rep during the Chargers’ Wednesday practice, he will be parked for a stretch.

Herbert is now in a fourth offense during his five-year career. The Bolts have transitioned from Shane Steichen to Joe Lombardi to Kellen Moore to Greg Roman as play-callers. While he has enjoyed several months to prepare, it is notable the upcoming period will not include much on-field work. It is now likely Herbert will not play in the preseason.

The Pro Bowl passer memorably played through a significant rib injury in 2022, a malady that certainly affected his performance that season. The Chargers still made the playoffs. Expectations are lower ahead of Harbaugh’s first season, as the Bolts stumbled badly in Brandon Staley‘s finale. This included an 0-4 mark in Stick starts.

The Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz regime re-signed Stick this offseason, giving the former North Dakota State standout a one-year deal worth $2.67MM. It was a bit surprising the new Los Angeles power duo did not make a move to improve the team’s backup situation, as Stick was a Tom Telesco-era pickup who spent his first three seasons as a third-stringer.

Stick is indeed in front of Max Duggan on the depth chart and will move into the QB1 spot, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes (subscription required). For now, Herbert remains on track to debut on time. But this injury’s potential to linger will be a central Chargers storyline to monitor ahead of the regular season.

Patriots, Vikings Inquired About Trade For Chargers’ Justin Herbert

April 26th, 2024 at 8:36am CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the six teams to end up with quarterbacks in the first round, the Patriots and Vikings began new chapters Thursday night. Extensive Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy ties to both organizations emerged during the pre-draft process, and each is tied to a rookie deal that could run through 2028 via the fifth-year option.

That did not stop both teams from a Hail Mary trade pitch for the NFL’s second-highest-paid player. The Pats and Vikings each contacted the Chargers about the prospect of trading for Justin Herbert, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. New GM Joe Hortiz confirmed inquiries emerged for the star quarterback earlier this offseason, indicating he “quickly” shot down such interest.

Increased QB movement this decade has resulted in trades for the likes of Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers over the previous three offseasons. But extenuating circumstances brought about those moves. A move for Herbert would have been among the most shocking deals at this position in NFL history, though the Bolts have made major changes this offseason. Watson is the only QB traded for three first-round picks since the mid-1970s; without any off-field baggage, Herbert would have commanded more in a haul.

The Chargers traded Herbert’s top wide receiver and released their longtime WR2 to move under the cap just before the 2024 league year. The team also passed on adding a top-flight WR prospect in the wake of the Keenan Allen and Mike Williams moves, drafting Joe Alt — confirming a run of rumors involving the Notre Dame tackle this offseason — over the likes of Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. The Chargers have some work to do to build around their franchise centerpiece.

Still, Herbert’s presence represented a draw for HC candidates this offseason. Franchise-caliber QBs in their mid-20s (Herbert is going into his age-26 season) are not regularly tied to teams with HC vacancies, and the former No. 6 overall pick helped attract Jim Harbaugh — after nine years back in the college game — to make the move to the NFL. Herbert will be a different caliber of quarterback for Harbaugh — at least in the pros, as the ex-Stanford HC did mentor Andrew Luck — though a trade could have reunited the longtime Michigan coach with recent pupil McCarthy, whom he has raved about this offseason. But Herbert represents one of the NFL’s safest bets, whereas McCarthy will be among the rookies tasked with developing into a Hebert-level player. Not many QBs able to reach that level.

These inquiries coming at the Combine add intrigue to the deal, as the Chargers had not yet disbanded their wideout corps around a coaching staff expected to place a much higher priority on the run game in 2024. A Herbert trade also would have proved quite costly for the Chargers. Dealing the 2021 Pro Bowl starter would have brought a $63MM dead money charge, as the Chargers’ then-Tom Telesco-run front office handed the four-year veteran a five-year, $262.5MM extension in July 2023. Due to Herbert’s fifth-year option being picked up, that deal runs through the 2029 season. Among QBs, only Patrick Mahomes is signed to a longer-term accord.

The Bolts did well to find Herbert shortly after Philip Rivers‘ free agency defection. Since the Tyrod Taylor pregame injection drama brought the Oregon alum into the lineup in Week 2 of the 2020 season, Herbert has shown himself to be among the NFL’s most talented passers. The Bolts’ issues around their QB talent led to late-season GM and HC firings, but given his accomplishments thus far, it is unsurprising Harbaugh and Hortiz quickly dismissed this prospect.

The Pats carried more than $100MM in cap space at one point this offseason; they would have been able to accommodate Herbert’s deal, though New England’s roster would not have necessarily aligned with a high-priced QB. Minnesota’s would, given the presences of Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. The Vikes also are carrying a $28.5MM dead money hit stemming from Kirk Cousins‘ free agency exit, making a rookie-deal passer valuable for a team unable to hammer out a fourth Cousins extension in 2023.

While it will be interesting to see how the Bolts finish off assembling a skill-position corps around Herbert, they do have what could become a top-tier tackle tandem in Alt and Pro Bowl LT Rashawn Slater. This Herbert mini-storyline stands to become a notable NFL “what if?”

Chargers Fallout: Harbaugh, Hortiz, Herbert, Staff, Minter, Michigan, Falcons

January 26th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Chargers reside in a different city than they did during Jim Harbaugh‘s time with the team as a quarterback, he will reunite with the organization that once gave him an opportunity as his career wound down. It took a big salary and appears to have brought considerable autonomy to complete this transaction.

Harbaugh signed a five-year contract, and Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz indicates the longtime Michigan HC is likely to have final say when it comes to personnel matters. Teams are often reluctant to provide this for head coaches, but Harbaugh brought leverage — due to the interest the Falcons showed and the offers Michigan made to keep him — that allowed him to maximize his position.

The Falcons had scheduled a second interview, but Harbaugh ended up postponing it. Harbaugh may or may not have intended to make that trip, but he used it during talks with the Chargers, who had long been the frontrunners in this race.

The Bolts did not give any of their Tom Telesco-era HCs final say, with the GM running the show. The team frequently struggled to turn Telesco’s well-regarded rosters into playoff berths, however, and Dean Spanos said ownership would spend time considering how it organized its power structure. It appears Harbaugh did enough to justify an HC-centric operation. Harbaugh, 60, also used president John Spanos‘ comments pushing back on the Chargers’ perceived frugality when it comes to HC spending to his advantage in negotiations, Schultz notes, adding the Chargers’ openness in giving such power to a head coach separated them during this year’s hiring period.

This contract is worth more than the $12.5MM-per-year deal Michigan is believed to have offered, and even if it falls short of the $18MM salary range Sean Payton established last year, Harbaugh will be given more control than any of the other HCs hired this year. The nine-year Wolverines HC appears prepared to bring his most recent DC — Jesse Minter — with him to Los Angeles, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Other staffers are likely to follow, per Schultz. Harbaugh made it a point during Bolts talks to mention bringing analytics staffers from Ann Arbor as well.

The power the Bolts are giving Harbaugh understandably gives him a considerable say in where the team’s GM search ends. This became a sticking point for Harbaugh, per Schultz. Given how his 49ers tenure concluded, it is logical this became a priority for the accomplished HC. Harbaugh’s feud with Trent Baalke and issues with 49ers ownership led him out the door after four years, bringing a steep freefall for the team before Kyle Shanahan — given a six-year contract due to what transpired in Baalke’s final years — began to pick up the pieces.

As for where the Bolts go at GM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicates Ravens exec Joe Hortiz is considered the favorite by some around the league. Hortiz, the Ravens’ director of player personnel, has extensive ties to the Harbaugh family and has been in Baltimore for nearly the franchise’s entire existence. This would stand to better prepare him for the potential challenge of working with Jim Harbaugh.

Hortiz has worked alongside John Harbaugh since the latter’s arrival in 2008 but has been with the Ravens since 1998. Prior to his 2019 promotion under GM Eric DeCosta, Hortiz spent 10 years as the team’s director of college scouting. Hortiz joins Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown as the only candidates the Chargers have brought in twice.

Unsurprisingly, Justin Herbert‘s status loomed as a Harbaugh draw. Many around the NFL pointed to Harbaugh showing interest in elevating Herbert — who supplies one of the top QB skillsets in the game today — after an inconsistent recent run, Fowler adds. Harbaugh worked wonders for Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco and is coming off a run with J.J. McCarthy that ended in a convincing national championship result. Via the extension he inked last summer, Herbert is tied to the Chargers through the 2029 season. Only Patrick Mahomes‘ contract runs beyond that timeframe.

Stanford went 1-11 during its final pre-Harbaugh season; the Cardinal finished 12-1 in 2010, propelling Harbaugh to the 49ers. San Francisco had missed eight straight playoff fields prior to Harbaugh’s 2011 arrival; he moved the team to three consecutive NFC championship games. Harbaugh’s .695 win percentage is the best among NFL coaches who started their careers since the 1970 merger. While the former Chargers QB’s style may not be for everyone, the success he has achieved on the sideline convinced the Chargers to revamp their organization to bring him in.

Chargers’ Justin Herbert Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

December 12th, 2023 at 11:13am CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Herbert‘s finger injury will end his 2023 campaign. The Chargers quarterback underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Bolts have since played their franchise QB on IR.

This represents the expected outcome of this situation, with Herbert’s long-term health being weighed against the Chargers’ slim playoff chances. The 25-year-old consulted two hand specialists yesterday to gain additional opinions on the injury suffered to the index finger in his throwing hand in Week 14. It was reported last night that he would likely undergo surgery, a procedure which would determine his recovery timeline.

With Los Angeles sitting at 5-8 on the year and therefore on the outside of the AFC’s wild-card picture, electing to take the surgical route with Herbert makes sense. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year signed a five-year, $262.5MM extension this offseason as one of several young passers to land a mega-deal. Herbert is on the books through 2029 as a result, and the Chargers’ investment in him makes his long-term outlook an obvious priority.

With Herbert out of the picture, Los Angeles will continue to use Easton Stick under center. The former fifth-rounder took over after Herbert suffered the injury in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos. He totaled 179 scoreless yards on 13-of-24 passing upon entering the contest, which represented his first regular season action since 2020. The latter appearance saw him attempt just one pass, so he will now take on starting duties with very little in-game experience. Stick has never started an NFL game.

Being shorthanded on offense will hurt the Chargers’ chances of closing out the season on a high note. That, in turn, would likely lessen head coach Brandon Staley‘s chances of being retained in the offseason. The third-year coach has drawn signficant criticism over the course of his tenure, and the Chargers are on track to miss the postseason for the second time over the past three seasons. Shortcomings on both sides of the ball have led many to expect a change will be made on the sidelines soon.

Herbert’s presence would make the Chargers an attractive option to coaching candidates with an offensive background in particular. Ben Johnson – one of the top options in the 2024 hiring cycle – is believed to have a mutual interest in an L.A. agreement. Regardless of what happens on the coaching front, though, the Chargers’ offseason will have Herbert’s recovery as a notable storyline.

Chargers’ Justin Herbert Fractures Finger

December 11th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Ely Allen

DECEMBER 11, 7:35pm: Herbert is “very likely” to undergo surgery tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The outcome of that operation will determine whether the QB is capable of returning to the field this season.

DECEMBER 11, 1:55pm: Herbert will consult with two hand specialists on Monday, Staley said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic (subscription required). No firm decision has been made on his 2023 future, though Staley unsurprisingly added Herbert’s long-term health is the main consideration with respect to a recovery timeline.

Herbert has not yet been ruled out for the Chargers’ upcoming Thursday night game, but both Popper and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo note he is highly unlikely to suit up. With the Chargers’ playoff chances looking very slim at this point, it would come as no surprise if he were to be shut down for the remainder of the season. It will remain worth watching how he and the team proceed, however.

DECEMBER 10: The Chargers have dealt with a good amount of adversity so far this season. With five of their eight losses coming by three points or fewer, wide receivers Mike Williams and Josh Palmer finding their way to injured reserve, and injuries here and there causing absences of stars like Austin Ekeler and Joey Bosa, Los Angeles needed to show some resiliency in order to stay in the playoff race this weekend. Instead, they were dealt yet another injury, this one to perhaps their most important player.

Quarterback Justin Herbert was forced to exit today’s game when he apparently injured his finger. At the time, we didn’t know much as Herbert was ruled out and undressed from his pads but remained on the sideline to watch his backup Easton Stick. Now, it’s been reported that Herbert suffered a fracture to the index finger on his throwing hand, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN.

Head coach Brandon Staley was the one to report the injury, though he did not have any information on a timetable for Herbert’s return to play. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the plan is for Herbert to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow on the injured finger in order to determine the severity of the injury. More specifically, Rapoport’s post stated that they will look to determine “how long he’s out and if he’ll be able to return this season,” painting the potential outcome in a fairly negative light.

If the Chargers are forced to play games without Herbert, Stick would likely be the starter moving forward. Since being drafted in the fifth-round back in 2019, Stick had only appeared in one game before today. He played two snaps in Week 6 of the 2020 season, completing his lone attempted pass for four yards. Today, he saw his first extended action. In just over a half of play, Stick completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 179 yards. He did lead the Chargers down the field on a touchdown drive late in the game by completing two big passes to rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston before letting Ekeler punch it in from three yards out.

Even if Herbert only requires a short recovery period, the Chargers face a short week with their next game coming on Thursday night in Las Vegas. If Stick earns his first start in the upcoming week, he’ll have to be backed up by practice squad quarterback Max Duggan, the rookie teammate of first-year wide receivers Johnston and Derius Davis. Duggan would need to be called up as a standard gameday elevation or signed to the active roster in order to be on the gameday roster this week.

There’s another question that begs attention: How much time does Herbert need to be out, and how many games do the Chargers need to lose, for the team to shut him down for the season. Los Angeles just committed to making Herbert the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL (outdone shortly after by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow‘s deal), locking him down with a five-year extension. If the playoffs start to appear out of reach, it may be in the best interest of Herbert and the team to hold him out for the rest of the year. Let him recover with little-to-no strain, and don’t risk doing any sort of permanent damage to your massive investment.

The Chargers don’t have to make that call just yet. They will look at the results of his scans tomorrow and have a much better idea of what the short-term future looks like. While he may need more time than three days and could miss Thursday, there’s still a chance Herbert recovers easily and is back for the last few weeks of the season. Still, with the pessimism displayed in Rapoport’s report, and the season beginning to wind down, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that we’ve seen the last of Herbert this year.

NFL Injury Roundup: Jefferson, Herbert, Hamilton

December 10th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Justin Jefferson‘s return from injured reserve may not last long. In Jefferson’s first game back from the IR-stint caused by a nagging hamstring injury, the Vikings wide receiver was knocked out of the game early with a separate injury.

While cutting across the middle of the field on a deep slant, Jefferson leapt up, arms extended, in an attempt to grab a high pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Jefferson was fully exposed in the process of the catch, Raiders safety Marcus Epps delivered a big shot to Jefferson’s rib cage from the side.

It didn’t take long for the team to rule Jefferson out for the remainder of the game with a chest injury. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Minnesota decided to transport Jefferson to a local hospital in Las Vegas. While perhaps not indicative of the worst-case scenario, the Vikings are likely just acting out of an abundance of caution.

At 6-6, the Vikings are one of a handful of NFC teams on the boundary of playoff contention, even without Jefferson for the last eight weeks. If Jefferson’s chest injury is not too painful to overcome, he would be a great asset in a playoff push to close the season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

The Chargers are facing an uphill battle in their attempts to remain in playoff contention. Things won’t get any easier as starting quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out of today’s game with a finger injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With Herbert out, backup quarterback Easton Stick has entered the game for his first game action since the 2020 season. Since starting in place of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of his rookie season, Herbert has not missed a single start in his career. If Herbert’s finger keeps him out for more than a few days, with Los Angeles facing a short week, Stick could see his first ever NFL start in Vegas this Thursday.
Ravens do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton was forced to leave today’s overtime win over the Rams with a knee injury. He had sat out a couple of plays after initially tweaking his knee before returning to the field of play earlier in the game. A few drives later, he would not return and was ruled out for the rest of the game. According to Schefter, the plan is for Hamilton to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow in order to determine the extent of the injury. Baltimore is set up well with Marcus Williams and Geno Stone at safety, but Hamilton lines up in so many places on the defense that he would be virtually impossible to replace with a single player if he’s forced to miss any time.

QB Notes: Watson, Pickett, Herbert, Cards

October 2nd, 2023 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a Week 3 bounce-back effort, Deshaun Watson sat out Week 4 due to a shoulder injury. The Browns endured a 28-3 loss. While Kevin Stefanski said the team is on the same page with its high-priced quarterback medically, the fourth-year HC added (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) Watson was cleared to play against the Ravens.

“He knows is body, he’s played through serious pain before, very, very serious injuries,” Stefanski said. “It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties.”

The 2022 trade acquisition had missed one game due to injury since the ACL tear that ended his 2017 rookie season, being sidelined for a 2019 contest. The Browns, who saw Watson predecessor Baker Mayfield struggle when playing through a shoulder injury in 2021, traded away their Watson backup — Josh Dobbs — just before the regular season, leading to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking the keys.

Here is the latest from the QB landscape:

After limping off the field in Houston, Kenny Pickett received good news upon going through an MRI. The second-year Steelers QB did not sustain serious damage to his knee, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Pickett sustained a bone bruise and a muscle strain, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, but he has a chance to play this week. With the Steelers’ bye in Week 6, it would make sense for the team to hold its starter out. Mitchell Trubisky, who signed an offseason extension, remains in place as Pickett’s backup. After being usurped by the 2022 first-rounder, Trubisky was needed after Pickett sustained two concussions as a rookie.
The Chargers also received fairly good news on their starter. Justin Herbert is not expected to miss time after suffering a finger injury in Week 4. That said, Rapoport notes Herbert did suffer a finger break on his nonthrowing hand. Herbert playing through early-season injuries is, of course, nothing new. The star passer battled rib trouble after a Week 2 injury last year. The Bolts’ franchise centerpiece has never missed a game due to injury.
With Kyler Murray not particularly close to returning, Dobbs’ unexpected starter run will continue. The Cardinals pursued Dobbs in free agency, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes the team made him an offer to rejoin OC Drew Petzing. While Dobbs preferred a Cleveland return, he ended up back with Petzing — the Browns’ QBs coach last season — in Arizona via the “out of the blue” Cards trade offer. Dobbs became Arizona’s surprise starter due partially to the new staff’s concerns about Colt McCoy‘s lack of mobility, per Urban. McCoy, 37, did not impress as the starter during training camp. Murray’s two-year backup, who had signed a two-year deal worth $6MM in 2022, remains a free agent.

Chargers Sign Justin Herbert To Five-Year Extension

July 26th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

JULY 26: The extension, which ties Herbert to the Chargers through the 2029 season, is now official. Herbert’s 2023 and ’24 cap hits will be under $20MM, with the ’24 number ($19.3MM) representing a $10MM decrease from his $29.5MM fifth-year option salary. The 2025 number checks in at $37.3MM, per OverTheCap, with the ’26 cap hit sitting at $46.3MM. The Bolts will undoubtedly go to the restructure well during this contract, as $58.3MM (2027) and $71.1MM (’28) cap figures appear on this deal down the road.

JULY 25: The latest quarterback domino has fallen. The Chargers have signed quarterback Justin Herbert to a massive five-year extension worth up to $262.5MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The new deal will keep Herbert in Los Angeles through at least the 2029 season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), the new deal contains a no-trade clause.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS (via Twitter), the deal can actually reach $265MM with incentives. The five-year extension includes $218MM in guaranteed money, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic (via Twitter). Schefter clarifies (on Twitter) that the extension contains $133.7MM in fully guaranteed money, $193.7MM with the injury guarantee, and a potential $218.7MM in total guarantees.

Rapoport notes on Twitter that Herbert will earn a whopping $100MM in year one of the extension, topping the previous one-year high of $80MM in earnings. This will be a significant raise for Herbert, who was set to earn $4.2MM in the fourth year of his rookie deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

In terms of new money, Herbert’s deal will rank fourth at the position in full guarantees and injury guarantees, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Herbert’s overall guarantees will slide him in third among QBs, and his overall injury guarantees will rank second at the position.

It was only a matter of time until the two sides ultimately agreed to a new deal. We heard back in March that the Chargers and Herbert had started extension talks, and with several quarterbacks having already reset the positional market this offseason, Herbert appeared to be the next in line.

Jalen Hurts (five years, $255MM) briefly held the title of highest-paid QB before Lamar Jackson‘s extension (five years, $260MM) a week later. Now, a few months after Jackson signed his record-breaking deal, Herbert is once again resetting the market, settling in at a contract that will pay him $52.5MM. The Chargers QB is now one of four players at his position to top $50MM (along with Hurts, Jackson, and Aaron Rodgers), and it will only be a matter of time before Joe Burrow and the Bengals agree to an extension that once again reshapes the market.

A mega-deal is certainly warranted for Herbert. Through three seasons in the league, Herbert has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s top signal-callers. His 14,089 passing yards are the most through a player’s first three seasons in NFL history, and his 94 touchdowns through three seasons trails only Dan Marino (98) on the all-time list.

The sixth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Herbert earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after tossing 31 touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions. He got a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 after compiling 38 touchdowns, but Herbert found the end zone only 25 times in 2022. However, he had a career-high 68.2 completion percentage this past season while guiding the Chargers to 10 wins and his first career playoff appearance.

2023 will be a crucial year for the Chargers. With Herbert’s extension set to kick in, the cash-strapped organization will look to capitalize on an offense led by Herbert, running back Austin Ekeler, and wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. As ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry points out on Twitter, the Chargers’ ability to sign Herbert on the eve of training camp also ensures that there will be zero distractions as the Chargers look to install coordinator Kellen Moore‘s new offense.

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