Let’s quickly look at the numbers of the Chargers QB Justin Herbert after 2 weeks. 44 of 61 passes (72.1% completion rate) for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns. Where does this place him? 3rd in passing yards, 3rd in yards per attempt (9.2), 7th in pass completion, and 3rd in touchdowns. He has done all this without a single interception. That’s not just good quarterback play, that’s elite-level precision. His 127.8 passer rating is the third-highest in the league. He’s doing all this while taking five sacks and keeping the Chargers’ offense alive.

But apparently, that still doesn’t make him one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, at least not in the eyes of guys who actually play the game.

On the September 17 episode of Club 520, Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin addressed the conversation head-on. “Shout out to Justin Herbert. A lot of people are saying Justin Herbert’s top five.” DJ Wells said, giving respect first. But then, Franklin shut the door. “He’s not top five. No, he’s not top five.”

It wasn’t a total dismissal, though. Franklin was quick to clarify, “Yeah, he probably is top 10. Obviously, he got a lot of stats and stuff like that, too. So he definitely top 10. But top five, it’s too solidified. It’s too much going on up there. You got to be genuinely a different kid. But Herbert definitely be putting on.” And that’s the Justin Herbert paradox.

He’s got the numbers, in fact, better numbers than those that put guys in the top five conversation. He’s outpacing Josh Allen (98.4) in passer rating, more efficient than Dak Prescott (68.6% completion rate). And he’s been more explosive than Russell Wilson, who has 618 passing yards but only three touchdowns and a lower completion percentage (60.3%).

But it comes back to the narrative that’s been attached to Herbert since he entered the league. Talent vs. wins. Until the Chargers start stacking statement victories and turning Herbert’s statistical brilliance into playoff runs, guys like Franklin are going to keep him in that great, but not top-five category. This season might be Herbert’s best shot yet to break through that perception.

The stats are screaming. The tape looks clean. All that’s left is to make those numbers matter in January.

Colts veteran chooses Baker Mayfield over Justin Herbert

Baker Mayfield isn’t blowing up the stat sheet. But he’s doing exactly what Tampa Bay needs. Through two weeks, Mayfield has thrown for 382 yards on 70 attempts, completing 60% of his passes with five touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s not stretching the field (just 5.5 yards per attempt), but he’s protecting the football, converting 31.4 percent of throws into first downs, and keeping the Bucs undefeated at 2–0.

That’s the version of Baker Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin says he’d take over Justin Herbert. “Personally, I would personally rather play with Baker than play with Herbert, though,” Franklin said on the Club 520 podcast. “I think this is a year for him that everybody’s been saying he’s the lead. All right, you got to make something happen in the playoffs now to take that lead to be in those conversations. I think he got the skill set to be solid. Obviously, Jim Harbaugh going crazy. But you got to get a playoff win now at this point. That’s how I feel about him. No question. He got too good of a team, bro.”

That’s not just a hot take, it’s a challenge to Herbert. Because on paper, Herbert is crushing Mayfield this season. He’s hit seven throws of 20+ yards and already launched a 60-yard strike. Statistically, Herbert looks like a top-three quarterback through two weeks. Moreover, he has kept his team 2-0.

But Franklin isn’t wrong about the postseason. Mayfield has 2 playoff wins, one in 2020 and another in 2023. Justin Herbert? Just two playoff games, and he has less than 60% pass completion in both. Particularly last year against the Texans, when he recorded 4 interceptions.

This is the debate. Herbert might be the better thrower, the better athlete, maybe even the better quarterback. But if you ask guys like Franklin who they want to go to battle with right now? He’s riding with Baker, the guy who’s proven he can win.