Most players in any sports likely do not pay attention to rankings that the media puts out. There are many, many rankings out there. But when fellow players, executives, and coaches make a list, the players do pay attention to those.
According to a list ESPN published, former Oregon and current Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been ranked as the No. 7 signal caller in the NFL. This list is published yearly, and Herbert was No. 9 before the 2021 season.
Winning helps in the voting, which explains Herbert’s standing. The two quarterbacks ahead of him are coming off the Super Bowl, while Herbert’s Chargers fell short of the playoffs. But he probably won’t be outside the top five for long. Consider that his 65.6 QBR last season was No. 3 in the NFL, behind only (Aaron) Rodgers and (Tom) Brady.
Those quarterbacks ranked just ahead of the Duck legend are Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Matthew Stafford of the Super Bowl champ Los Angeles Rams.
“When you’re that talented physically and you’re smart, it’s mind-boggling,” a longtime NFL coordinator said in the article. “Adding his strength and power, he’s hard to tackle, all of that; and he’s seeing things for another season so will have a better understanding. Passing on him is going to haunt (the Miami Dolphins) for a long time.”
Miami took Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5 over Herbert. The Chargers snatched him up at No. 6 and as the two careers go along, it’s looking more and more like the Chargers managed to draft the better quarterback.
Herbert and the Chargers are among those favored to be in the playoffs and hopefully become the second Los Angeles team as in many years to take home the Lombardi Trophy.
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