Franchise quarterbacks don't often become available, but that could be the case for Justin Herbert. With the Los Angeles Chargers firing former head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco, the Bolts could be on the verge of a massive rebuild. Nobody got less out of more than the Chargers have done recently. It is their modus operandi. To do more with less than seemingly anyone.
At 5-9 on the season and hell to pay in terms of an overall salary cap restructure, we could be on the verge of a Tobias Funke oh my god, we're having a fire! ... sale in Los Angeles. Getting Herbert off the books could be huge for the Chargers in their honest attempt at a rebuild. If they are bad enough the rest of the way, which they probably will be, they could be in a great position to draft his replacement.
Herbert may be down for the count for the season due to injury, but his talent has always been undeniable. He is a good kid with the body and physique of a greek god. Herbert has the look and feel of a franchise quarterback, not to mention impeccable flow, bro. Needless to say, any team in dire need of a franchise quarterback will need to take a seriously hard look at Herbert from the Chargers.
If he were to be traded, one of these five landing spots would send shockwaves throughout the NFL.
5. New England Patriots could get their next Tom Brady in Justin Herbert
With the New England Patriots circling the drain under Bill Belichick at a disastrous 3-10 on the year, you have to wonder how much longer The Hoodie is going to keep doing this. His time in New England could be coming to an end, which is why he has actually been tied to other potential head-coaching openings, none more so than the Chargers. Well, what if Herbert brought an end to that?
By trading for Herbert, Belichick would have a new franchise quarterback in New England, and would not have to worry about drafting the right guy out of college with the Patriots' presumptive top-three pick. Mac Jones would probably go to the Bolts along with said top-three pick. That would allow whatever front office executive who takes over for Telesco to have some real quarterback flexibility.
On paper, this seems like a sensible trade, but it is hard to envision a team that has historically been owned by the Patriots to do business with them in-conference. If the Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams were to have flipped leagues, we might see this blockbuster trade of sorts become a reality. In the meantime, we can only hope Herbert gets his new coach and Belichick gets his new quarterback.
A deal between the Chargers and the Patriots for Herbert does not have to be all that complicated.
4. Atlanta Falcons become NFC contender overnight with Justin Herbert
It was not that long ago that I saw a great Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense get wasted by the inherently reckless play of one Jameis Winston. I mean, he went 30/30 during his final year in Tampa, seeing his last snap for the Buccaneers end on a pick-six to end the season vs. the Atlanta Falcons. Fate would have it, the 2023 Falcons remind me so much of those 2019 Buccaneers, to be honest.
Atlanta could even keep Desmond Ridder if it wanted to, but adding a dynamic passing presence like Herbert would be a complete and total game-changer for the Dirty Birds. I really do not know what combination of players and draft compensation the Falcons would have to give up for him, but can you put a price on contending for championships? Herbert has the Falcons five wins better overnight.
That would have an Atlanta team with a 10-win ceiling getting well above the double-digit threshold. With the NFC South so up for grabs now and in the future, Herbert is the quarterback that would help them dominate the division. It would be like having a Matt Ryan again, without necessarily having a Drew Brees, Cam Newton or Tom Brady in-division. Regime changes be damned, go get your guy.
This is a move that the Falcons could make that would make sense under any front office regime.
3. Seattle Seahawks can use Pacific Northwest locale to their advantage
Justin Herbert may play professionally in Southern California, but he is Pacific Northwest kid at heart. Although there is no NFL franchise located in his home state of Oregon, the former Ducks star and Eugene native could be right at home suiting up for the Seattle Seahawks. Former Chargers backup Geno Smith has played well since joining Seattle, but they are a limited team with him under center.
As with Bill Belichick, we have to wonder how much longer Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is going to do this. He is in his 70s, but is as youthful and as jovial as they come. I wish we could say the same for Belichick. Regardless, there is another huge advantage for Herbert going to play closer to home for a defensive-minded head coach: Carroll's potential successor in one Shane Waldron.
Waldron has been the straw that stirs the drink in Seattle for quite some time. He is the type of offensive mind that would get the most out of Herbert's talent, something Mario Cristobal, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley never could. In theory, Carroll could coach the Seahawks for a few more years before handing the baton off to Waldron. This is how you orchestrate a great succession plan.
In a way, Seattle could do the inverse of the Russell Wilson trade with the Denver Broncos for Herbert.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers will go back to Super Bowls with Justin Herbert
If there is one team in the AFC capable of pulling off such a trade for Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers, it would have to be the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Fake Slide King Kenny Pickett would be going over to the Bolts like Mac Jones would in a deal involving the New England Patriots. Herbert would come in and make the Steelers Super Bowl viable for the first time in over a decade.
As with the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks, the trade may be a little more complicated than the one involving New England. As it would with the Patriots, the Steelers would have to give up a premium to get a quarterback of Herbert's caliber in-conference. Then again, that is the price of being nationally relevant in the most national sport our great country could ever hope to provide us.
The Steelers getting Herbert would be akin to the Falcons getting Herbert, two strong defense-led teams in dire need of a better offensive playmaker. The only difference is the Steelers are an infinitely better-run operation historically. Herbert might be open to going anywhere, but past success is more on the Steelers' side than Atlanta. Yinz trade for Herbert and it is like getting a younger Big Ben again.
Herbert to the Steelers offers a bigger ripple effect throughout the league than any other destination.
1. Washington Commanders finally have some hope with Justin Herbert
In terms of making the biggest impact and the most seamless transition for both franchises, put Justin Herbert on the Washington Commanders. Trade Los Angeles your first-round pick this year, plus additional compensation, and there you go! Assuming the Commanders have a top-five pick this year, the Chargers cannot only get Herbert's replacement in the draft, but experience cap relief, too.
Because the Commanders play in the other league, it may not cost them as much to do business with the Chargers as it would the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers. Factor in Josh Harris taking over as majority owner, and we could be in for an offseason for the ages in the nation's capital. It may not just be a head-coaching change after all. Perhaps they go big-game hunting in the trade market?
In truth, I think a deal with the Commanders could be a way to keep Sam Howell around as a top-tier backup, as well as making Washington a more enticing place to come coach for if you want one of those 32 jobs in the big chair. The other big part in all this is Herbert's arrival in Washington would transform a long moribund franchise from a completely dead one into one worthy of talking about.
The Commanders are most definitely going to do something to command our attention this winter.