Justin Herbert keeps getting treated like a quarterback people know is great, but not great enough to place where he belongs.
That disconnect showed up again in Pete Prisco’s latest CBS Sports top 100, where the Los Angeles Chargers star landed all the way down at No. 63. For a passer with a 5,000-yard season and multiple Pro Bowl selections already on his résumé, that’s a jarring slide - especially for a player widely viewed as one of the league’s top quarterbacks.
Herbert’s profile has always been a little unusual. He’s a quiet star, someone who has only recently started showing more of his personality in public appearances and even music videos while dating an international pop star. And because he plays for the equally low-key Chargers, his elite talent has never quite turned into the kind of national spotlight other quarterbacks enjoy.
Still, the numbers and the production have been there. Even in what was labeled a down season, Herbert completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He also took a step forward as a runner, setting a career high with 498 rushing yards and adding two scores on the ground. The offensive line was bad, and the Greg Roman offense was downright miserable, but Herbert still kept the operation moving.
Prisco acknowledged some of that in his ranking, writing: “He played in 16 games last year, throwing 26 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He clearly played through injuries for some of those games, but I expect his numbers to improve with Mike McDaniel calling plays this season.
(Last season: No. 49)”
Even with that explanation, Herbert sitting behind a long list of quarterbacks before the top 10 is the kind of thing Chargers fans will look at and shake their heads over. If the argument is about where he stands among the league’s best, there’s a strong case that he should be much closer to the top 10 than the middle of the pack.
But the ranking may end up working in Herbert’s favor. If he really is on the verge of a leap in a Mike McDaniel offense, with a modern scheme and a revamped roster around him, then this kind of disrespect could age badly in a hurry.
McDaniel is even having Herbert rework his footwork while helping reshape the offense’s personnel across the board. That’s a pretty clear sign the Chargers are aiming higher, and it gives Herbert a real chance to push his game into another tier.
If a year from now Herbert has climbed nearly 50 spots on lists like this, that probably means the Chargers have something much bigger to celebrate too - maybe even a playoff win to finally put his name in the place it’s been headed all along.
In Other News...
Chargers Just Added A Massive Rookie Tackle Fans Will Debate Fast
The Chargers kept adding to their offensive line with a move that fits both the present and the future, taking Travis Burke out of Memphis in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft and quickly getting him under contract on a four-year deal. Burkes path to the league ran through Gardner-Webb, FIU and Memphis, and his college tape plus physical traits were enough to put him on NFL scouts radar as a tackle worth developing.
For Los Angeles, the appeal is obvious: Burke arrives as a developmental piece behind an already established group, giving the team another young body to shape without asking him to carry an immediate load. The bigger question is how quickly he can turn those tools into dependable NFL play, especially with evaluators still sorting through where his best fit ultimately lies. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Just Got A Reason To Believe The Chiefs Can Fall
The Chargers have spent years trying to close the gap in the AFC West, and this is the kind of outside noise that at least makes the chase feel a little less daunting. ESPN analyst Ben Solak pointed to Kansas Citys ongoing roster reshaping and the reality of contract decisions hanging over veteran players, arguing that the Chiefs may not look as untouchable down the line as they have for much of the Patrick Mahomes era.
For Los Angeles, the more interesting part is what comes next on its own side of the ledger. A roster that can stack up with Kansas Citys, plus a fresh offensive voice in Mike McDaniel, gives the Chargers a plausible path to making the division race real if Justin Herbert can settle quickly into the new system. Herberts adjustment could end up being the swing factor if the AFC West starts to tilt at all. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Have A Bigger Tight End Question Than Expected
The Chargers thought they had a clear answer at tight end after Oronde Gadsden IIs strong rookie season in 2025, but the picture changed fast when veteran David Njoku arrived on a one-year deal. Njoku brings nine years of experience and a Pro Bowl nod, giving Los Angeles a proven pass catcher who has long been more than just a depth piece.
What makes this especially interesting is that the competition may not end with one player simply winning and the other fading into a backup role. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has the kind of personnel mix that could lead to plenty of multiple-tight-end looks, which means Gadsden and Njoku may both have real value even as the Chargers sort out how to use them most effectively. [Read more 🡒]