After helping his side to victory over the Chargers on Sunday, Rams star Quentin Lake offered a brutal assessment of opposition quarterback Justin Herbert, following in the footsteps of Tom Brady
Quentin Lake of the Los Angeles Rams
Quentin Lake of the Los Angeles Rams has brutally criticized Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert for his performance in Sunday's game
View 2 Images
Rams safety Quentin Lake became the latest to take aim at Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's performances this season by claiming that he was "throwing deli meat" during Sunday's Los Angeles derby.
Lake, 27, produced a standout, dominant performance to help his side claim a 24-9 victory at SoFi Stadium and condemn their city rivals to a seventh straight defeat of the season, producing an individual stat line that included 1 interception, 7 combined tackles, and 2 passes defended.
In fact, Lake set a franchise milestone for the most passes defended by a Ram through the first eight weeks of a season this century with his interception and pass breakups, reaching 11 passes defended on the year.
For one of his opponents, however, things weren't quite as rosy: Chargers quarterback Herbert produced a mistake-riddled performance and finished with a 72.0 passer rating as the Chargers failed to score a single touchdown and went 0-7 for the year.
Lake's sole interception in the game actually came from a Herbert throw in the first quarter, as he undercut an out-route to tight end Charlie Kolar and returned it for 45 yards to set up an eventual Rams field goal.
Speaking on the St. Brown Podcast to dissect the game on Wednesday, Lake was asked about his pick on Herbert, to which the Rams star offered a brutal assessment of the Chargers' quarterback's performance.
"I mean, he was throwing deli meat out there. Bro, he's seeing ghosts," Lake said, sparking laughter from co-hosts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Equanimeous St. Brown. "Bro, I don't know what's going on, but, like, we knew we were going to get a couple (of interceptions) – at least one."
Lake's response drew a significant reaction from NFL fans, with many left in shock by the way he had spoken about a fellow professional, while others simply laughed at his brutal honesty.
"The good Lord will be knocking on your door soon, very soon," one fan wrote in response to the video, directly calling out Lake, while another said, "This clip is actually doing like devastating irreversible damage to Herbert and his psyche."
What adds an extra layer to Lake's assessment of Herbert is that it comes just weeks after Tom Brady made similarly savage comments about the Chargers quarterback following a Week 3 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) runs past Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10)
Lake (37) runs past Herbert (10) after intercepting his first-quarter pass
View 2 Images
In the game, which the Chargers ultimately lost 24-16 to fall to 0-3 to start the 2026 season, Herbert showed flashes of his best but still struggled, tossing a brutal interception early in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles looked to extend its lead.
Brady, who was in the booth for FOX Sports' America's Game of the Week broadcast, was disappointed with Herbert's performance, insisting he let himself down with poor quarterback play.
"Herbert tried to throw down the middle of the field to Valdez-Scantling, but there's a safety down the middle of the field. Gardner-Johnson," Brady said. "Poor awareness. Poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub."