The Chargers have made one thing crystal clear: Justin Herbert isn’t going anywhere.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he checked on the possibility of a Herbert trade, and the answer came back fast and firm. As Schefter put it on Tuesday via The Adam Schefter Podcast:
“Called out there, spoke to somebody… The person basically cut me off mid-sentence, stopped me in my tracks, and said: ‘Let me be very clear about this: we have never even discussed that idea. The sentence ‘Should we trade Justin Herbert?' has never once been uttered in our organization, nor will it be,'”
Los Angeles may be one of the league’s biggest surprises in the 2026 NFL season, but not in a good way. The Chargers are 0-5, one of only three teams to open that poorly, and that kind of start naturally has people wondering what comes next. Even with the noise around a possible rebuild, Herbert is the one player the organization refuses to consider moving.
That doesn’t mean other teams shouldn’t dream.
Atlanta is one of them. This isn’t a shot at Michael Penix Jr.; it’s just that Herbert is a different level of answer at quarterback.
The Falcons’ decision to draft Penix was supposed to help them finally settle the position after Matt Ryan, and landing Herbert would do that in a much bigger way. The fit is intriguing because Atlanta is one of the few teams that could actually absorb Herbert’s contract.
According to the salary cap calculator at Over The Cap, the Falcons could trade for him now and still have $5.23 million in cap space. Even better for the long view, they’d still have $72.55 million in 2027 and $118.94 million in 2028.
With several productive players on rookie deals and core pieces like Bijan Robinson and Drake London already locked in, Herbert in that setup would be a monster move. He’d be 32 when his current contract expires in 2030, and the idea of Kevin Stefanski building the Falcons into an NFC juggernaut with Herbert at quarterback over the next four years is the kind of thing that sounds great on paper - and probably stays there.
Minnesota also belongs on the list. The Vikings already have one of the league’s most feared defenses, a strong coaching staff, and Justin Jefferson, one of the best receivers in football.
What they don’t have is consistent quarterback play, and that’s the piece keeping them from going even higher. They’re 5-0 despite all the turbulence under center, which only makes the Herbert fit look more tempting.
Kevin O’Connell likes to lean on the run game and wouldn’t need Herbert to carry everything by himself, which makes the idea of Herbert thriving there pretty easy to picture. The money wouldn’t be simple, but a few roster moves could make it work and turn Minnesota into a real problem in the NFC.
Then there’s Pittsburgh, where the talent is there but the quarterback answer still isn’t. Jaylen Warren is in the middle of an electric breakout, and the defense has plenty of juice even without Joey Porter Jr.
A quarterback like Herbert would give the Steelers the kind of centerpiece they could build around for years. The issue is Aaron Rodgers.
He’s the obvious roadblock, because there’s no realistic way Rodgers would welcome another franchise quarterback into the mix while he’s still on the roster, especially not one who would cost a blockbuster haul. That makes any Herbert swing a 2027 offseason idea at best.
Even then, the timing could be awkward, and the cap picture doesn’t make it cleaner. For Pittsburgh, the safer bet may be to take its shot in the 2027 NFL Draft instead.
In Other News...
Chargers Add New Justin Herbert Insurance At A Brutal Time
The Chargers have added another quarterback to the room, signing former Bengals backup Jake Browning, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. For a team built around Justin Herbert, it is the kind of transaction that usually flies under the radar, but at this point in the season every depth move carries a little more weight than usual.
Browning brings some game experience with him, having appeared in 17 career games and thrown for 2,702 yards with 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. What the Chargers do with him next is still being sorted out, since it is not yet clear whether he will land on the active roster or the practice squad. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herbert Questions Grow After Chargers Make Sudden QB Move
The Chargers are making a quick quarterback addition ahead of Sundays game against the Chiefs, signing veteran Jake Browning as they try to steady the position for the immediate future. Browning arrives with NFL experience from his previous stops with the Vikings and Bengals, giving Los Angeles another arm on the roster as the matchup with Kansas City approaches.
The move has only added to the questions around Justin Herbert, whose 2026 season has been well below the standard expected from the teams franchise quarterback. Still, a team source said the organization has never even discussed trading Herbert, which keeps the focus on how the Chargers plan to navigate the short term rather than on any wholesale change at the top of the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Trade Idea Would Fix A Big Need And Sting A Rival
The Chiefs are heading into their Week 6 matchup with the Chargers coming out of a bye, and they are also being talked about as a team that could keep adding before the trade deadline. Kansas City already made a move for wide receiver Justin Watson, and the conversation around the roster now includes defense, where one of the most recognizable names in the division has surfaced as a possible fit for the reigning AFC powers.
Bleacher Reports Alex Kay floated Khalil Mack as a target, a suggestion that would instantly grab attention around both teams. Mack is on a one-year deal and could be viewed as a manageable rental if the Chargers continue to stumble, which only adds to the intrigue for a division rival looking to patch a need while making life a little more uncomfortable for Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]