The Los Angeles Chargers will begin their 2025 NFL regular-season schedule on Friday against the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, their chief AFC West rivals. It will give them an opportunity to start the year with a bang and validate the optimism plenty of people have for them.
A fair number of people are picking the Chargers to make the playoffs again, just as they did last year in Jim Harbaugh's first year as their head coach. However, for them to make any real noise in the playoffs, quite a bit of growth will be needed.
They have an excellent quarterback in Justin Herbert, but there have been some questions about his ability to elevate his team when it matters most. Ryan Clark, a former NFL player and Super Bowl champion, said on ESPN's "First Take" that Herbert doesn't raise his game in big situations.
"Justin Herbert, whenever it matters, has been terrible," Clark said. "Justin Herbert didn't win big games in college, as talented as he was. Justin Herbert, in two games in the playoffs in the league, you lose a 27-0 lead. You throw four interceptions against the Texans.
"I think Justin Herbert is extremely talented. I also think Justin Herbert is the fun friend. Justin Herbert is the friend you invite over when you're having a party. If something serious is happening, you don't bring him over because he's not responsible, accountable, and you can't depend on him."
Herbert Has Shrunk in Big Games So Far in His Career
This is some serious shade, but there is definitely some truth to it, at least in terms of results.
In four seasons at the University of Oregon, he had a 29-13 record, and he led the Ducks to a win in the Rose Bowl as a senior over the University of Wisconsin. However, he threw for just 138 yards and did most of his damage in that game with his legs by scoring three rushing touchdowns.
In Week 17 of his second season in the pros, Los Angeles faced the Las Vegas Raiders with a playoff berth at stake for both teams. Herbert made multiple game-saving completions down the stretch, but he couldn't get his team across the finish line, as it lost, 35-32. He completed 34 of 64 pass attempts on the evening.
A year later, the signal-caller guided L.A. to the playoffs, where it faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round. That is where the squad blew a 27-0 lead, as Herbert found trouble getting his men into the red zone. He ended up making just one touchdown pass.
Then came last season's wild-card playoff game versus the Houston Texans, when he had four interceptions and a 43.8% completion rate in a 20-point loss.
Reason For Hope?
The other side of this argument is that there simply isn't a big sample space of big games, especially playoff games, for Herbert yet. Therefore, it could be argued that the 27-year-old still has time to change the narrative Clark referenced.
Besides, there is no denying his talent. At 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds, he's one of the NFL's most physically imposing quarterbacks, and his throwing arm resembles a military-grade rocket launcher.
If the Chargers manage to develop more weapons at the wide receiver position, perhaps that will be all Herbert needs to become a truly elite player.
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