Justin Herbert’s name is suddenly sitting right in the middle of the trade-deadline chatter, but the Chargers aren’t treating it like a real conversation.
With the Nov. 4 deadline closing in, speculation around potential blockbuster moves has picked up, and Herbert - off one of the roughest five-game stretches of his career during Los Angeles’ 0-5 start - has found himself in the rumor mill. The idea sounds wild on its face, but the price being floated is the kind that forces people to pay attention: three first-round picks.
That was the hypothetical a high-level league executive reportedly raised with ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter then took the question directly to the Chargers, and the answer came back fast and emphatic.
"The person basically cut me off mid-sentence," Schefter said. "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.'"
So for now, Herbert is still viewed in Los Angeles as the franchise quarterback, the long-term answer the team believes can get back to playing at a high level. Still, the NFL has a way of turning the impossible into the merely unlikely, especially when a player’s value is this high and the clock is ticking toward the deadline.
If Herbert were ever put on the market, a few teams would immediately jump into the discussion.
The Minnesota Vikings are one obvious fit. They’re 5-0, but the offense has still been stuck in the mud because of middling quarterback play.
At the same time, it’s tough to picture Minnesota making a seismic move unless things take a turn between now and the deadline. Kyler Murray is 4-0 as Minnesota’s starting quarterback, which makes the situation even more complicated.
Even so, the Vikings are one of the clubs that could decide to act if the offense keeps lagging behind the defense.
The New York Jets would also make sense if they wanted to jolt their season back to life. Their defense is already doing its part, sitting fifth in the NFL in fewest points allowed, but the offense has been one of the league’s weakest units, especially in scoring. With 10 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Jets have the ammunition to chase a major swing if Los Angeles ever changes its mind about Herbert.
Tennessee is another team that could at least be tempted. The Titans are 0-5, Cam Ward has not made major progress this season, and the franchise could be ready to move on after less than two years. Herbert wouldn’t fix everything overnight, but he would bring a dose of hope to a fan base that badly needs it, especially with a new stadium set to open in 2027.
Miami would also come up fast in any Herbert discussion. The Dolphins are in the first year of Malik Willis’ contract, but he is not being viewed as the long-term solution.
Herbert would give the Dolphins a real upgrade at the game’s most important position and offer a fresh wave of hope to a fan base that has waited a long time for elite quarterback play. The source also notes that Miami could get a do-over after drafting Tua Tagovailoa instead of Herbert in 2020.
And then there’s Philadelphia, which would be the least likely landing spot on the list - and maybe the most fascinating. The fit is messy on the surface, but the logic is there: Herbert and Jalen Hurts could both use a reset, with Herbert having regressed in Los Angeles and Hurts also slipping in Philadelphia.
If the Eagles can string together some wins before the deadline, Herbert could give their playoff push a real jolt. Hurts, meanwhile, would supposedly fit better in Mike McDaniel’s offense.
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For a front office already in the middle of a broader restructuring under team president Burke Nihill, the addition signals another notable shift in how the organization is being run behind the scenes. It also comes with an unresolved layer, since Walls is named in a discrimination lawsuit involving the Cardinals that has been sent to arbitration, leaving Tennessees latest personnel move with both practical intrigue and a little extra scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Need Brian Daboll To Change What Is Failing Cam Ward
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For Cam Ward, that has meant too many snaps where the defense knows what is coming. Brian Daboll is now at the center of the conversation about how to change that, with the idea of leaning harder into the pass and even speeding things up with more no-huddle looks if it can help the Titans create easier scoring chances and finally get the offense moving. [Read more 🡒]
Jeffery Simmons Suddenly Sits At The Center Of A Titans Debate
The Titans have spent recent trade deadlines acting like sellers, and their place near the bottom of the standings has only sharpened the conversation about how long this rebuild will take. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft already in their pocket, Tennessee has enough long-term draft capital to keep thinking big-picture, but the presence of Jeffery Simmons has complicated the picture. The veteran defensive tackle is coming off a significant contract extension, which usually signals stability, not uncertainty.
Still, in a league where top-tier veterans can bring back major returns, Simmons has become the kind of player who forces hard questions about timeline and value. Moving him would be a drastic step, and one that would carry obvious football and locker-room risks, but it could also fit a front office trying to accelerate a reset. For now, there is no trade or formal decision, only the kind of debate that tends to follow a team when the future arrives faster than expected. [Read more 🡒]