Lack of big game success knocks Justin Herbert out of Pro Football Focus' top tier category of QB rankings

Justin Herbert is in a bit of a gray area among NFL quarterbacks.

Some consider him elite, and others believe he's more in the mid-tier. The folks over at Pro Football Focus agree with the latter, as they released their annual offseason QB rankings on Tuesday.

From PFF: "Herbert might be the best regular-season quarterback in non-clutch situations. His 91.0 overall grade over the past three seasons ranks sixth, and when excluding playoff performances, his passing grade actually tops Patrick Mahomes'. In standard game situations outside of late-game or high-pressure moments, Herbert owns the second-highest passing grade in the league. With another year under Jim Harbaugh and improved weapons around him, we’ll see if he can finally get over the hump."

Herbert came in at No. 8 on PFF's list, in the Tier 2: High-End Starters category. Ahead of him in that category is Jalen Hurts at No. 5, Jayden Daniels at No. 6, and Matthew Stafford at No. 7. In this writer's opinion, putting Daniels over Herbert is premature. Herbert has eclipsed Daniels' passing yards and touchdown numbers in four of his five seasons played.

The lack of big game success, particularly during the postseason, has definitely been a black eye on Herbert's career thus far. If he can lead the Chargers on a deep playoff run, he could shoot up into the elite tier of QBs. The days of Herbert putting up huge yardage and TD totals could be behind him with coach Jim Harbaugh's run-heavy offensive approach, making playoff success even more crucial to his legacy.