The Vikings are in a spot where the quarterback question never really goes away, and Justin Herbert has become the name that hangs over it.
Minnesota has already seen only 11 snaps of Kyler Murray before his concussion in Week 1, and the early 2-0 start has come with Carson Wentz and the running game carrying the load against the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. That’s enough to keep the train moving, not enough to settle anything.
Wentz is not a long-term answer, J.J. McCarthy wasn’t ready to start last year, and Murray remains an unknown.
That’s why the Chargers’ situation deserves a call from Minnesota general manager Nolan Teasley. Herbert is a seventh-year starter the Chargers drafted sixth overall in 2020, and he would give Kevin O’Connell a much more proven quarterback to run the offense next season if Murray does not re-sign and McCarthy still isn’t ready.
Herbert’s stock has taken a hit under Jim Harbaugh. He won offensive rookie of the year after being drafted sixth overall, and he made the Pro Bowl in his second season.
But his QBR slid from 70.9 in 2021 to 60.2 in 2022. When the Chargers replaced Joe Lombardi with Kellen Moore in 2023, Herbert’s passer rating climbed to 64.8.
Moore then left for the Philadelphia Eagles and is now the New Orleans Saints’ head coach, and the Chargers brought in John Harbaugh. Since then, Herbert has fallen again, posting a 61.7 QBR two years ago and a 60.6 last season.
This year has started badly, too. Through losses to the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders, Herbert has averaged 200.5 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Cardinals are expected to finish a distant third in the NFC West, while the Raiders were projected to finish last in the Chargers’ division. The bookmakers have Arizona at 5.5 wins and Las Vegas at 7.5.
Los Angeles also has a brutal stretch coming. The next five games are against the Buffalo Bills, the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Houston Texans, all likely playoff teams. The Chargers could be out of the playoff race before their Week 7 bye.
A trade is only a theory right now, and the Chargers are unlikely to move on from Herbert this season even if things unravel quickly. But if Minnesota wants to get ahead of the next quarterback squeeze, Herbert is the kind of name worth checking on now. The price would be steep - likely two first-round picks and a conditional second - but the Vikings may eventually need a real long-term answer under center.
Jim Harbaugh’s history only adds another layer to the conversation. He interviewed with the Vikings in 2022, returned to Michigan, won a national championship with J.J.
McCarthy, and then moved back to the NFL with the Chargers, where Herbert was already in place. Harbaugh has been vocal about McCarthy’s talent, saying at the 2024 draft, “I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft,” and later adding, “That was the best throwing day I’ve ever seen,” and “Like I predicted, once they were around him, I was hearing the stories about how he is on the board, how he is on the field, the little things, the intangibles.
I mean, it was absolutely no surprise whatsoever.”
Three years later, McCarthy is still something of a question mark. He tore his meniscus in the preseason and missed his rookie year.
Last season, he completed 57.6% of his passes in 10 starts while dealing with injuries. The Vikings began 4-8, and McCarthy did not really show command of the offense until they were out of the playoff hunt and Kevin O’Connell simplified the verbiage in his calls.
That is why the idea of swapping paths, at least in theory, makes sense. Herbert could fit O’Connell’s offense as a more established quarterback who can push the ball downfield. McCarthy, meanwhile, has the Michigan connection with Harbaugh and could suit a run-heavy scheme, while Mike McDaniel’s quick-game offense in Miami with Tua Tagovailoa may be easier for him to handle.
Harbaugh and Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel may not survive the season if the team falls apart, but if ownership stays committed to them, the fit with McCarthy would be clean. For Minnesota, the bigger point is simple: if Murray doesn’t re-sign and McCarthy still isn’t the answer, the Vikings need to know whether Herbert is even available before someone else does.
In Other News...
Vikings Have A Receiver Problem Their 2-0 Start Can't Hide
The Vikings are 2-0, but the early offense has already made one thing clear: everything still runs through Justin Jefferson. Minnesota has leaned heavily on its star receiver while the rest of the wideout room has struggled to keep pace, leaving the passing game far more top-heavy than the record suggests. After two games, the secondary receivers have combined for only two catches for 27 yards, a thin return for a group the team needs to be more dependable.
Jordan Addison, the No. 2 option, has not matched the production he showed in previous seasons, and the rest of the depth chart has yet to offer much help. Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton and Myles Price have all been quiet, and the Vikings have had to navigate quarterback changes and injuries along the way. The next stretch against Tampa Bay and Miami could offer a chance to straighten things out, but for now the early wins have not masked a receiving problem that still needs solving. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Get A Crucial Boost While Another Week 3 Problem Emerges
Aaron Jones is expected to be available Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving the Vikings a needed boost as they try to keep their offense on track in Week 3. Minnesotas final injury report also clarified the special teams picture, with Brett Thorson ruled out and veteran Johnny Hekker likely handling punting duties, while center Nick Samac will miss the game as well.
The Vikings are still walking into a matchup with some moving parts on both sidelines. Tampa Bay will be without rookies Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter, while Baker Mayfield was a full participant in practice after dealing with an illness, leaving Minnesota to sort through its own health questions while preparing for a division test that could hinge on stability in the kicking game and protection up front. [Read more 🡒]
James Pierre Is Giving Vikings Fans A New Reason To Believe
James Pierre has given the Vikings an early-season lift after signing a two-year deal in Minnesota, and his first two games have made him look like more than just a depth addition. The cornerback has already piled up five tackles, three pass deflections and an interception, giving the secondary a jolt when the defense was looking for steady play on the back end.
What stands out even more is how little quarterbacks have been able to do against him so far. Pierre has allowed a passer rating of 12, which ranks among the lowest for NFL cornerbacks with at least 30 snaps, and his 77.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus sits 10th in the league. For a Vikings defense trying to build confidence early, that kind of production is exactly the sort of development that can change the tone around a unit. [Read more 🡒]