Justin Herbert’s future became the day’s loudest NFL talking point on Tuesday, but not because the Los Angeles Chargers were openly shopping their franchise quarterback.
Instead, the chatter started with a stunning idea floated on FS1: if the Chargers truly don’t believe they’re close, Nick Wright said Herbert could be the kind of player they move for a massive haul - even if that means sending him to the New York Jets.
Herbert is off to the worst start of his career, with Los Angeles dropping its first five games of the 2026 season. That slump has pushed the quarterback discussion into uncomfortable territory, especially with next month’s trade deadline approaching. Wright didn’t tiptoe around it.
“I'd be honest with myself, if I were the Chargers, on 'Who are our blue chippers?' Like, 'How close are we?'
We love our two tackles; they're always hurt. We don't have a single difference-making weapon. ...
They don't have a defensive player under 28 that would garner a first-round pick in a trade.”
Wright then pointed to the kind of return he thinks would make the conversation at least worth having.
“So, if you're not close, would I call the New York Jets and say, 'Hey, you have three first-round picks. You have the Cowboys' or the Packers' pick, the Colts' pick, and your own pick.'
Would I trade Justin Herbert, if I were the Chargers, for three first-round picks? Yes. ...
I think it might be best for him.”
He added one more sharp line to back up his point.
“And I know people are like, 'Oh, well, (Matthew) Stafford had a similar - There is no profile like Herbert where they peak early, slowly drop off since, and I didn't even mention statistically speaking, the worst playoff quarterback of the century.'”
That speculation, though, runs into a major reality: Herbert’s five-year, $262.5-million contract includes a no-trade clause. That makes any exit from Los Angeles extremely difficult unless Herbert agrees to it.
And according to Adam Schefter, the Chargers aren’t entertaining that idea anyway.
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” regular Ty Schmit’s podcast on Tuesday, Schefter said he checked on the rumor and was shot down immediately.
“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.'”
For now, Herbert remains in place, and the Chargers turn their attention to Sunday’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. on CBS.
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