Before the Los Angeles Chargers selected quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Philip Rivers was the guy who held the role as the franchise’s starting signal-caller for almost two decades.
Rivers was one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL for most of his time in the league and Herbert appears to be heading down a similar path, and some even view the Chargers’ current passer as one of the best in the NFL already.
Los Angeles running back Austin Ekeler has been in the league since 2017, so he’s had the luxury of playing with both Rivers and Herbert in his career.
On Thursday, Ekeler shared what the differences are between the two talented quarterbacks (via The Volume on Twitter).
“Philip wasn’t as mobile. Justin can run, and he’s got that big arm too. He can sling it 60 yards. Philip was more of a dice you down [type of player]. He [didn’t] really have that big arm ability.”
.@AustinEkeler and @RSherman_25 talk about the differences between playing with Justin Herbert and Philip Rivers pic.twitter.com/dlkjNFnwlc
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) November 2, 2023
Ekeler also shared how Rivers would pull up film from five or 10 years before and know what a team’s defense was going to run based on a certain formation, and also that Herbert’s mental capacity is still growing.
Currently, Rivers is the Chargers’ all-time leader in career passing yards and career touchdown passes.
Back in 2021, Herbert broke the franchise’s all-time records for single-season passing yards and single-season touchdown passes, the latter of which was previously held by Rivers.
Of course, Herbert still has a long way to go before he can even come close to passing Rivers as the Chargers’ all-time passing leader.
But based on some of the impressive performances he’s already been able to have during his career, it won’t be surprising if that is something that actually ends up happening.
NEXT: Insider Highlights Upcoming Challenge For The Chargers
