Scouts were as high on Justin Herbert as anyone could be. Some around the NFL even predicted he'd have a better career than Joe Burrow, who went first overall in the same draft class.
So far, Herbert has proven that he was worthy of all that praise and more, setting a rookie record in his first season and taking things up a notch in the encore.
Besides the athletic traits and physical skills, former Packers center Corey Linsey believes that Herbert has all the intangibles to become an NFL legend, even comparing him to Aaron Rodgers:
“Aaron has the same thing, that fire, perfectionist-type attitude,” Linsley said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “When Aaron was on, and he can’t be stopped, and you weren’t on, he was gonna let you know. Because he has that perfectionist, competitive fire inside of him. And that’s what Justin has.”
Lindsey praised Herbert's work ethic and determination for improving his craft, which is why he's sure great things await him in his career:
“He just has that inside of him where he’s just like, ‘I want to be the best, I want to be the best that I can be. I want my team to be the best and I’m not going to let anything stop me,'" Lindsey added. "He watches more film than I’ve ever seen, he’s in the weight room doing weighted pullups, just getting after it, man. I mean it’s 24/7, and that type of mindset speaks to the type of player he’s going to be."
He's not the only one who feels that way. Per ESPN's Joe Buck, Herbert can sit at the same table with other stars of the league and won't have a tough time keeping up with other QBs in his division:
"I mean, [Justin] Herbert is phenomenal and has been since the second he took his first snap, dynamic, can do everything, big, strong kid who's smart and really works hard it seems like," he said. "Russell [Wilson] is a proven commodity. Patrick Mahomes and Derek Carr are the other two. There's a lot to love there in that division. It's easily the best division with easily the best quarterback play within any division."
The Chargers clearly believe the same. They trust Herbert to take them to the promised land right away.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have made all the moves they made in the offseason, trading for Khalil Mack and signing J.C. Jackson.
The Chargers have an explosive offense and an improving defense, but more importantly, they have an elite young QB ready to put their lifelong struggles to an end.
