If we knew then what we know now, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert would have been a great sell-high candidate a year ago.
Entering 2023, Herbert was an ascending young star at his position. He was fresh off a season in which he topped 4,700 passing yards, threw 25 touchdown passes and finished eighth among quarterbacks in fantasy points. In 2021, he had a 5,000-yard season and finished as the QB3. The sky was seemingly the limit for Herbert.
That sky fell in 2023. Herbert missed a month with a broken finger, threw for a career-low 3,134 yards and finished as the QB19. And things have only gotten worse for him since.
Former Chargers running back Austin Ekeler signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency. The Chargers traded wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears for a bag of Doritos Flamas and released fellow wideout Mike Williams And as Jason Katz wrote for Pro Football Network, Herbert now plays for a head coach in Jim Harbaugh whose offense is decidedly old-school.
"For the duration of Herbert's tenure as the Chargers' starting QB, they've been a pass-first offense," Katz said. Last year, the Chargers ranked seventh with a 59% neutral game script pass rate. They also played at the fastest pace in the league. Things are likely to change under the new regime.
"Harbaugh's teams run the ball. According to NBC Sports' Denny Carter, Harbaugh's 49ers teams ranked 31st, 31st, 32nd, and 29th in pass attempts, respectively, from 2011-2014. His last two Michigan teams ranked 117th and 121st, respectively, out of 130 teams in pass rate."
If you can find a trade partner who still sees Herbert as a young, ascending talent, getting what you can for him now might be the way to go.
