The Los Angeles Chargers made a big statement in their first game of the season.
When most people expected them to deploy a run-heavy offense with newcomers Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, they put the ball in Justin Herbert‘s hands instead.
The Oregon product responded with one of the best games of his career in a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
That’s why, after watching him dominate Steve Spagnuolo’s championship-caliber defense, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks predicted that he will finally take a big leap this season.
More than that, he thinks he can even win MVP:
“While the pecking order among the top four quarterbacks in football today is debatable, everyone generally agrees on who comprises the position’s current Mount Rushmore: Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. But I think this is the year when Justin Herbert joins that elite tier of signal-callers. After seeing Herbert’s dominant performance in the season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs last week in Brazil, it is easy to envision the sixth-year pro making a Josh Allen-like run at MVP. Herbert can enjoy a career year by following a familiar blueprint that demands the quarterback focus on smart play instead of stat-stuffing. And if he guides the Chargers to new heights, Herbert will earn serious MVP consideration,” Brooks wrote.
Of course, it’s still way too early to tell, but Herbert has always been on the outside looking in of that elite category.
He’s one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the league, and while he’s not often scrambling, he can certainly make plays with his legs.
Herbert completed 25 of 34 passes for 318 yards (73.5 percent) to go along with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
He also added seven carries for 32 yards.
The Chargers will most likely turn to their run-heavy offense again, since that has always been Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman’s signature.
But knowing that they have someone who can make every throw in the book should also make them feel quite confident against every single team they face.
Herbert has all the talent in the world, but he’s fallen short in crucial times on way too many occasions.
Will he live up to this prediction? We shall wait and see.
NEXT: Analyst Shuts Down Concerns About Omarion Hampton
