Chargers QB Justin Herbert gets the Peyton Manning comparison he deserves nationally

Los Angeles Chargers fans don’t need to be told that quarterback Justin Herbert has some uncanny match-ups to the legendary Peyton Manning. 

But it sure doesn’t hurt when the idea gets some national exposure, right? 

Danny Parkins just provided as much on Breakfast Ball on FS1, pointing out how similar Herbert’s numbers match up to Manning's when putting their careers side-by-side. 

“It’s not based on quarterback performance in the playoffs either because he’s 0-2 … but he still is on pace to be Peyton Manning,” Parkins said. “He is through 79 games, identical records, better completion percentage, similar passing touchdowns, both winless in the postseason.”

As Parkins went on to note, Manning started winning big and pulling in individual awards for the remainder of his career right around the Year 6 or Year 7 mark. 

Herbert, as it turns out, heads into his sixth pro season in 2025. He’s completed 66.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 21,000-plus yards and 137 touchdowns against 45 interceptions, throwing just three picks last year. He infamously rarely has coaching consistency around him, though. 

The comparison isn’t unwarranted, in part, because the second year of Jim Harbaugh provides some much-needed stability for Herbert. Beyond the simple continuity, the Chargers appeared to upgrade the offensive line, tight end, running back and wideout positions this offseason. No major splash, but enough when one remembers, after all, that Hebert is a top-10 quarterback, at least. 

Maybe Herbert doesn’t end up posting huge postseason numbers in 2025, sure. But for Chargers fans, it must be nice to hear their star quarterback painted in this light instead of the constant underrating and unnecessary zooming in on his postseason numbers when so much was going wrong around him.