Justin Herbert’s quote on Hard Knocks has to be concerning for Chargers

NFL rookies are behind the eight-ball this year, but Justin Herbert’s quote from “Hard Knocks” is still a bit concerning for the Chargers.

After years with Philip Rivers entrenched as the starting quarterback, the Los Angeles Chargers moved on this offseason. With the sixth overall pick in April’s draft they took Justin Herbert, and they hope he’ll be the franchise quarterback for a decade-plus like Rivers was.

With no organized on-field offseason work, a different training camp and no preseason games, NFL rookies are behind the proverbial eight-ball this year. Quarterbacks are facing a particular learning curve, with a step up from college offenses that can be greatly simplified to a more complex NFL offense.

The Chargers have consistently professed faith in Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback this year. He may only be a one-year bridge to Herbert, but it’s safe to say as long as the Chargers are winning games and in playoff contention, Taylor will be starting.

What was Justin Herbert saying on Hard Knocks?

So Herbert will be not be starting Week 1, and there’s a chance he plays very little (if at all) as a rookie. But his quote from Tuesday night’s episode of Hard Knocks still has to be a little concerning for the Chargers.

Via Daniel Popper of The Athletic:

With a clear nod to the access “Hard Knocks” affords, Herbert openly acknowledged that the volume of information he’s being given “catches up” to him sometimes. That’s hardly a surprise, since only so much could have been done via Zoom video sessions and now via a split of camp snaps with the anointed starter Taylor. It may not so much be the mass of information Herbert is learning, but the full-fledged opportunity to apply it via repetition in practice.

The most ideal scenario for the Chargers has always been being successful enough so Herbert makes no starts this season, while he possibly still gets action in a few games. If he’s still talking about being overwhelmed a year from now, then the Chargers can be legitimately concerned about the guy they want to be their quarterback of the future.