Plenty of QBs have needed some assimilation time after a change in offensive scheme. But Justin Herbert's struggles under OC Mike McDaniel go well beyond that. Herbert endured another terrible outing in Sunday's loss at Seattle, tossing another 2 INTs amid a 19-for-31 line with 189 yards and a TD.
Does He Need LASIK Surgery?
Herbert completed his first throw of the game to Seahawks LB Drake Thomas, who was looming right there between Herbert and supposedly intended target Oronde Gadsden.
Even if that ball had made it beyond Thomas, CB Josh Jobe was right there with Gadsden.
The second quarter found just as glaring a mistake, when Herbert threw right at LB Ernest Jones.
Herbert now has 6 INTs through just four games. That's nearly halfway to his season total of 13 from last year, which stands as the second-largest tally of his career (15 in 2021). Herbert tossed just 3 and 7 INTs the two prior years.
His 5.0% INT rate doubles last year's career high and comes just two years after he led the league with a 0.6% INT rate.
His passing success rate of 37.4% sits 7 percentage points below his previous low and ranks fifth-worst among 29 qualifiers.
These mistakes don't look like miscommunications between QB and receiver; they look like a passer just having no idea what he's looking at, which is strange for a seventh-year QB who took his team to the playoffs the past two seasons.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Herbert's Killing His Team and Yours
Herbert sits a brutal 31st among QBs in fantasy points per game. He leads only Malik Willis and Daniel Jones among four-game starters.
The Chargers QB has yet to exceed 226 passing yards or throw more than 1 TD pass in a game this year. He's completing a career-low 59.7% of his passes. And he continues to face too much pressure.
Pro Football Focus has third among starters and second among four-game starters in pressure rate. Only Bryce Young has seen pressure more frequently.
Herbert actually ranks sixth among multi-game starters in adjusted completion rate when pressured, though, so we can't even really blame his struggles on that factor.
All that combines to make this signal caller a guy you can comfortably drop in most fantasy leagues, if you haven't done so already.
If you're still clinging to Herbert, at least make him prove he belongs in your lineup before you start him.
