(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Right when longtime Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers decided to move on in 2020, the team had the good fortune of getting to take Justin Herbert with the sixth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He ensured a seamless transition, as he quickly proved he was a gamer during his rookie season.
Herbert will be going into his fourth season, which means it will soon be time for the Chargers to give him a contract extension and his first major NFL payday.
Reportedly, the organization has started negotiating with Herbert’s camp on such a deal.
The Chargers and QB Justin Herbert have opened contract negotiations. Brandon Staley provided no timeline to get a deal done, but said “The major takeaway is that Justin Herbert is going to be our quarterback.” https://t.co/TkQ9fOgmSO
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) March 28, 2023
ESPN reports that Herbert is “expected to earn an extension worth more than $50 million per season,” which could and should make him the league’s highest-paid QB.
As of now, Aaron Rodgers holds that honor at $50.27 million per year.
Herbert may not be the NFL’s best signal-caller, but he is widely considered an elite or at least a near-elite one.
He completed 68.2 percent of his passes last season, which resulted in 4,739 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns.
Those 25 touchdowns were down from 38 the previous season, and at least some of that drop can be attributed to injuries that limited wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to 10 and 13 games, respectively.
In addition, L.A.’s offensive line left something to be desired.
The team finished 10-7 despite its many injuries, but unfortunately, blew a 27-0 lead and lost in the Wild Card playoff round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While some may want to partly blame Herbert for the loss, it was his first-ever postseason appearance, so blaming him seems at least somewhat myopic.
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