Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert isn’t supposed to be in this situation. He’s supposed to have offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater protecting him when the Pittsburgh Steelers roll into town Sunday. But he doesn’t. Slater and Alt are both on injured reserve, leaving Herbert with question marks at tackle.
And that’s not a good thing for Herbert. The Steelers forced six turnovers against the Indianapolis Colts and brought down QB Daniel Jones five times. The Steelers’ pass rush is primed to have a big night in Los Angeles. But former Steelers S Ryan Clark thinks that Herbert has a tool up his sleeve (or perhaps his socks) that could cause the Steelers trouble.
“I think another big thing for me is Justin Herbert having some willingness to use his legs…” Clark said Friday on NFL Live. “Justin Herbert, being one of the more, my opinion, talented runners in this league. If he can be decisive on when to take off from the pocket, there could be some opportunities to gash the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
You might not put Justin Herbert on your Mount Rushmore of rushing quarterbacks right now. He’s not on the level of Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson or Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen. But Herbert actually leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards this season with 305 yards. He’s tied for 13th among all quarterbacks with only one rushing touchdown (Allen leads the league with seven).
Herbert averages 6.6 yards per carry this year. It’s his best season average by over two yards a carry, but he’s a career 4.5 yards per carry quarterback. Herbert can carry the ball if needed, and he’s no slouch. The Steelers are aware of it.
Steelers OLB TJ Watt on Chargers QB Justin Herbert and his ability to run when needed pic.twitter.com/eI4MXBlygO
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 7, 2025
Herbert ran nine times for 90 yards in the Chargers’ 41-37 win back in 2021. So, some of the Steelers’ defenders probably remember watching Herbert give them fits in that game.
And the Steelers have been susceptible to quarterbacks running the ball this year. All the way back in Week 1, former Steelers QB Justin Fields ran for 48 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. New England Patriots QB Drake Maye ran for 45 yards on seven carries in Week 3.
I’m not saying Justin Herbert is going to be the Chargers’ rushing offense. And neither is Clark. But Herbert could use his legs to get himself out of some bad situations on Sunday. And if he does, he could do a lot more than just avoid sacks. He could cause the Steelers’ defense some real problems on the ground, not just through the air with his arm.
And Herbert sealed the Chargers’ Week 1 win against the Kansas City Chiefs with his legs, not his arm.
19.82 MPH per @NextGenStats in case you’re wondering pic.twitter.com/U0wnUtCK6A
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 6, 2025
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