NFL: Ranking every quarterback midseason

NFL: Ranking every quarterback midseason: 8. Justin Herbert – Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert came into the league with a lot of question marks. He went after Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa in the draft, but it’s pretty clear he is the best quarterback among them (although Burrow is getting closer). He has the Los Angeles Chargers making noise in the AFC West, and the team might be looking at contention earlier than expected. Herbert is doing that on his own.

Herbert had a rough go of it against the Baltimore Ravens before their bye. That is the one knock on Herbert. He’s still too young to figure out how to pull himself out of a hole. He can pull his team out of a hole if they give up a big lead, but if he’s struggling, it seems to snowball into an avalanche.

Besides that game, Herbert has been crushing it. He went shot for shot with the Cleveland Browns, throwing for 398 yards, four touchdowns in a 47-42 epic in Week 5. He added a rushing touchdown in that game, too. When Herbert is rolling, he’s undoubtedly a top-five quarterback in this league. He can find the holes in the defense, and he knows exactly when to go for the deep shot.

Herbert is doing all this with mediocre stats from Keenan Allen. His best receiver has one touchdown through Week 7, and he hasn’t even been the reception machine he has been in years past. Instead, Mike Williams has been the go-to receiver for the Chargers. If Allen gets back going, then the Chargers will be in even better shape with Herbert under center.