The Herbert family is getting a reunion in Los Angeles.
After the Jacksonville Jaguars waived former Oregon tight end Patrick Herbert, the Chargers moved quickly and signed him to their practice squad on Monday night, giving Justin Herbert a new teammate with a very familiar last name.
Patrick Herbert had been trying to carve out a spot with Jacksonville after going undrafted, first landing with the Jaguars and spending last season on their practice squad. He was released again as teams trimmed preseason rosters from 90 players to 53 on Sunday, then explored his options before choosing Los Angeles.
Former #Jaguars TE Patrick Herbert, who was waived by Jacksonville yesterday, has opted to sign with the #Chargers ’ practice squad.
Herbert fielded offers from multiple teams but heads to LA having done extensive research on the starting QB.
That would be his brother, Justin. pic.twitter.com/M93dcKad3Z
- Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 31, 2026
For the Herberts, it’s a chance to reconnect after their time together at Oregon. They shared one season in Eugene, though the on-field connection never quite materialized there because Patrick played in two games before redshirting.
Justin moved on after that season, while Patrick’s college career was slowed by injuries. He finished at Oregon with 31 catches for 388 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Now the challenge shifts to earning a call-up from the practice squad. The Chargers have a crowded tight end group with Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, and Oronde Gadsden all in the mix, so Patrick Herbert will have to keep grinding. Still, the family angle gives this move a little extra juice, and if he gets his shot later on, the chemistry with Justin should come naturally.
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Bowling Green coach Eddie George instead went in another direction, naming Jay Kastanin the starter and leaving Novosad in a backup role. For a quarterback who transferred in search of opportunity, the latest development only adds to the questions surrounding where Novosad fits next and how much runway he will have to prove he can still be the answer under center. [Read more 🡒]
Former Oregon Ducks Are Facing Very Different NFL Paths After Cuts
A wave of former Oregon Ducks found new landing spots after NFL cutdown day, with several players quickly moving from release lists to practice squads as teams sorted out the final edges of their rosters. Patrick Herbert landed with the Los Angeles Chargers, while Noah Whittington and Jamal Hill joined the Houston Texans, and veteran tight end Pharaoh Brown signed with the Indianapolis Colts, giving each of them a path to stay in the league for the moment.
The post-cutdown picture was not uniform, though, and that is what makes this stretch of the calendar so volatile for former college standouts. Some ex-Ducks ended up on injured reserve or worked through injury settlements, while others were able to survive the roster squeeze and make 53-man rosters elsewhere, leaving a familiar Oregon pipeline scattered across the NFL with very different short-term outlooks. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Fans Have Another Staff Shakeup To Worry About Already
Oregon is heading into 2026 with a new-look staff under Dan Lanning, and the Ducks already know they will have different voices running both sides of the ball. Drew Mehringer is in as offensive coordinator, while Chris Hampton has taken over the defense and quickly emerged as one of the more intriguing coaches on the roster because of his track record and the immediate progress Oregon has made in the passing game since his arrival.
For Ducks fans, the larger concern is not just whether the staff can keep the program on a championship track, but how long it can hold together if the success continues. Hampton has already started to draw attention as a possible future head coach elsewhere, and that kind of buzz can be a compliment and a warning at the same time for a program trying to build stability in the middle of coaching turnover. [Read more 🡒]
