It feels as though every young quarterback at some time has been said to be the next big rival for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. This was definitely the case for Justin Herbert, who the Los Angeles Chargers drafted in 2020 and immediately looked to have hit on yet another quarterback when Herbert balled out as a rookie.
Playing against each other twice a year meant that people really thought Mahomes and Herbert would become big rivals but so far, it's been Mahomes (unsurprisingly) who has reigned supreme in the "rivalry". Herbert has gone 2-7 against the Chiefs and hasn't beaten them since 2021 (just his third game against K.C.). One of those two wins was when K.C. rested its starters in the final week of the regular season.
While the Chargers making the playoffs could be considered a win for a team that wasn't expected to do much this season, Herbert's playoff performances so far into his career might have Chargers fans a bit worried. Meanwhile, Chiefs fans have enjoyed watching Herbert meltdown in his two playoff games so far.
Playoffs might be too big of a stage for Justin Herbert
Now, it's worth noting that Herbert's first playoff loss wasn't entirely his fault. The entire team collapsed in that one, as they got off to a 27-0 start before losing the game 31-30. Herbert's numbers weren't awful (25-of-43 for 273 yards, one touchdown, and zero picks) but collapses like this often fall on the quarterback's shoulders even if it's not always their fault.
Herbert's second game, however, was quite the meltdown. The Chargers entered the game against the Houston Texans as road favorites (Rex Ryan even went as far as saying that it was basically a bye week for the Chargers) and got off to a 6-0 start. From there, things went about as poorly as they could have.
The Texans won the game by 20 points and Herbert threw four interceptions compared to just one touchdown. The Chargers didn't give Herbert many weapons this season outside of Ladd McConkey, who had a great game, but throwing four picks in a game that many thought your team would run away with isn't a good look. It's also the first time a player has thrown more picks in a playoff game than during the entire regular season. Oof.
The good news for Chargers fans and bad news for Chiefs fans is that Jim Harbaugh is a darn good coach and will ensure he gets Herbert the right talent to help him succeed in the games that truly matter. Chiefs fans have to just keep hoping that these moments are too big for Herbert and he continues to melt down on the big stage.