Chargers name Tyrod Taylor starting QB in expected move

First-round pick Justin Herbert will have to wait his turn, as the Chargers officially named Tyrod Taylor the Week 1 starter.

There will be no training camp stunners for the Los Angeles Chargers, who have decided to go with a veteran signal-caller to open up the season over their 2020 first-round pick.

On Wednesday, head coach Anthony Lynn announced, as expected, that Tyrod Taylor will be his starting quarterback on Sept. 13 when the Chargers take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Taylor has landed the job over first-round pick Justin Herbert, who is no doubt the quarterback of the future for the organization.

However, Los Angeles also doesn’t want to throw him out onto the field before he’s fully ready, which is why fans will see Taylor line up behind center to begin the new campaign.

Tyrod Taylor is entering his second season with the Los Angeles Chargers

Taylor, who started his career with the Baltimore Ravens, is in his 10th pro campaign. He joined the Chargers in 2019 and appeared in eight games. He didn’t make any starts, though, so this will be new territory for him in the AFC West.

Over his career, Taylor has thrown for 9,562 yards and 54 touchdowns. He’s also known for having some wheels, as he’s rushed for 1,843 yards and 16 more scores.’

For Taylor, he’s won the job over Herbert, who was taken by the Chargers with the No. 6 overall pick back in late April. A former star for the Oregon Ducks, Herbert was taken by L.A. right after the Dolphins snatched up Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick.

While Herbert indeed is the quarterback of the future for the team, the expectation throughout camp has always been that Taylor would lead the team out onto the field for Week 1. Should Taylor struggle early on in the season, however, we could see Herbert making his NFL debut sooner than later.