Will Justin Herbert earn as much as Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson?

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco seems to understand quarterback Justin Herbert has become more expensive since the start of April. 

"Any time there is a contract signed at that position, yeah, it’s going to come up in conversation," Telesco said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio about talks with Herbert's camp, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "I wouldn’t say there is any quarterback contract out there that is a blueprint. I wouldn’t say that at all. But, like anything else, there’ll be contracts that’ll be talked about. We’ll cherry-pick some things out of that contract we like. The agent will cherry-pick some things out of that contract that he likes." 

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts reportedly received a five-year extension worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed last month. The bar for Herbert's second NFL contract was again raised after it was reported last Thursday that Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens had agreed to a five-year, $260M deal with $185M guaranteed.

Herbert hasn't guided his club to a Super Bowl appearance as Hurts did last season, nor has the 25-year-old earned Most Valuable Player honors as has Jackson. With the salary cap rising yearly and Herbert eligible for an extension as a 2020 first-round draft pick, showing him the money this spring or summer could ultimately save Telesco and the Chargers cash and valuable cap space down the road. 

Herbert made it known last week that he has "complete faith in the Chargers organization and the front office" regarding negotiations and that he has no set timeline for when he could sign a contract. Telesco echoed those words but sounded confident the two sides will come to an agreement on a deal that benefits all involved. 

"In the end, we’ll get to a compromise at some point, something that works for everybody," Telesco continued. "That’s what we’ll do here. I don’t really have a timeframe for it, to be honest with you, but we’ll get there." 

Kevin Patra of the NFL's website noted that the Chargers picked up the fifth-year option attached to Herbert's rookie contract that's worth $29.504M for 2024. While Los Angeles can retain Herbert's rights into at least the spring of 2025 via the franchise tag, Telesco and company should probably speak with the Ravens about the type of impact such a decision can have both financially and as it pertains to a relationship with a star player.