Another year, another injury for Justin Herbert to push through. It’s becoming a pattern for the LA Chargers quarterback, as he often deals with lingering injuries that hinder his performance.
This season, Herbert faces even more challenges. The Chargers have one of the weakest receiving corps in the league and an offensive coordinator not known for strong passing schemes. As a result, fans are seeing a more limited version of Herbert.
The Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs showcased the offense at its worst. After a strong opening drive, Herbert struggled, hindered by an injured offensive line and subpar receiving options. The Chargers blew a 10-0 first-quarter lead and didn’t score again for the rest of the game.
It’s been a tough season for Herbert, and while offenses are down league-wide, his standing among top quarterbacks after four weeks emphasizes how difficult things have been for the former Oregon star.
|
Rank |
Quarterback |
Passing yards |
|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Geno Smith |
1,182 |
|
2. |
Brock Purdy |
1,130 |
|
3. |
Dak Prescott |
1,072 |
|
4 |
C.J. Stroud |
1,054 |
|
5. |
Jared Goff |
1,015 |
|
6. |
Baker Mayfield |
984 |
|
7. |
Joe Burrow |
978 |
|
8. |
Matthew Stafford |
978 |
|
9. |
Sam Darnold |
932 |
|
———— |
———— |
———— |
|
29. |
Justin Herbert |
578
|
Justin Herbert’s ranking in passing yards proves how broken the Chargers’ offense is
Through the first four weeks of the 2024 season, Justin Herbert ranks 29th in passing yards, with 28 other quarterbacks ahead of him. While passing yards aren’t the sole measure of performance, this stat underscores how ineffective Herbert has been, largely due to issues within the offense.
Even in a slump, a top-five quarterback shouldn’t be that low in passing rankings. Herbert’s struggles are primarily due to poor offensive support and playing through injuries, but the broken offense is the real issue.
For context, Andy Dalton, who has only played two games, is just 39 yards behind Herbert. Jordan Love, also with two games, has 71 more passing yards, and Bo Nix, who had a negative yardage first half against the New York Jets, still has 82 more passing yards than Herbert.
You could name almost any average quarterback, and they’d likely have more passing yards than Herbert at this point. In fact, the only quarterback with fewer yards while starting all four games is Jacoby Brissett. When Brissett is the only quarterback you’re ahead of, it’s a clear sign something is wrong.
This isn’t meant to criticize Herbert—quite the opposite. It shows that the new offensive system isn’t benefiting him. The offense looked good when the Chargers could run against weaker teams like the Raiders and Panthers, but against well-coached teams that stack the box, like the Steelers and Chiefs, the offense falls apart.
With a franchise quarterback like Herbert, this shouldn’t be happening. The Chargers need to provide better support for their star QB, plain and simple.
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