'Not a total shock': Justin Herbert trade chatter emerges amid disastrous start to season

A recent report claimed that the Los Angeles Chargers had not yet discussed possibly trading quarterback Justin Herbert despite the struggles that he, the Los Angeles offense and the Chargers as a whole had endured this season. 

However, that claim was made before the Chargers entered their Week 7 bye at 0-6 and before Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday that "0-6 does not give the privilege to rule out anything at this point." 

For a Casino.org piece published on Tuesday, NFL insider Jason La Canfora suggested that Herbert could have a different football home sooner than some think. 

Chargers trading Justin Herbert would not be "a total shock?"

"It’s reached the point where some around the league are wondering if quarterback Justin Herbert will be there in 2027," La Canfora wrote about the Chargers. "Perhaps someone might be able to pry him away even sooner, possibly by the (Nov. 10) trade deadline. It would be a total franchise-changer, but a 0-6 start when you had Super Bowl aspirations, and Herbert was supposed to finally fulfill his MVP promise, will get owners to contort themselves and consider things that otherwise wouldn’t be on the table. Make no mistake, a decision like this would be ownership-driven, and this ownership group is notoriously fragile. A Herbert trade would still constitute a major surprise – but not a total shock – at this point." 

The Chargers signed Herbert to a five-year, $262.5M contract extension in the summer of 2023, but he mostly failed to make a major leap regarding his development before he fell to 0-3 as a postseason starter this past January. More recently, Herbert has played so poorly during the ongoing season that many believe it's a matter of time before Harbaugh either fires first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel or gives McDaniel a different role within the organization. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Herbert ranks last in the league among qualified players with a 29.9 adjusted QBR and 31st out of 33 quarterbacks with a 68.8 passer rating on the campaign. 

When could Justin Herbert realistically be traded?

Whispers surfaced in September suggesting that Harbaugh could be in danger of losing his job if the Chargers don't turn things around this fall. Meanwhile, one unnamed NFL executive told La Canfora he thinks the Chargers possibly trading Herbert is "more of a discussion" for the upcoming offseason. 

"His base salaries are $24M this season, $36M next season and $47M in 2028, when he is also due a $5M roster bonus," La Canfora added about Herbert. "That is QB chump change and will look even cheaper once Lamar Jackson and C.J. Stroud get their next deals." 

Herbert's deal includes a full no-trade clause, and it's difficult to guess which teams would give up the necessary assets to land him ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. That said, it seems like chatter about the Chargers making Herbert available could grow louder if the club continues to lose more than it wins through early January.