Talent alone doesn’t buy unlimited patience in the NFL. Justin Herbert joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 as their first-round pick. Six seasons went by, and yet the 28-year-old quarterback has struggled to put himself in the elite status. And according to three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth, Herbert may soon face intense scrutiny over his performance.

“Justin Herbert came in as a rookie, and all of a sudden he put on a display in his rookie year,” said Schlereth on The Stinkin’ Truth Podcast. “So your first year, your second year, your third year, you know what? First year you play, and you play exceptionally well. And then second year, you get to the playoffs, like you’ve exceeded expectations. Third year, now you’re supposed to do something in the playoffs. For Justin Herbert, I don’t know that there’s a player in the National Football League right now that has more pressure on himself to perform than Justin Herbert does.

“Because when you start looking at the playoff performances of the Chargers, he hasn’t been good. He’s been terrible. And the Chargers have been terrible… Justin Herbert’s got to perform. If he does not perform and win playoff games, and at least let’s call it an AFC championship game, and you like that dude is under more pressure or more scrutiny.”

Justin Herbert has played 95 regular-season games in the league so far. In 2,285 passes, the signal-caller threw for 24,820 yards while posting 163 touchdowns and maintaining a record of 52–43. So, while statistically, Herbert has put up elite numbers so far, Mark Schlereth’s assessment does not come without reason.

A key metric that often raises questions about Herbert is his postseason performance. Unlike the regular season games, the 28-year-old QB hasn’t been able to win a single playoff game in his six-season career in the NFL. In the 2022 season, the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars, losing 30-31 with Herbert recording 273 passing yards and one touchdown.

Then, in the 2024 season, the Chargers lost to the Houston Texans 12-31 while the 28-year-old QB was marked by a career-high 4 interceptions, completing just 43.8% of his passes. And even last season, fate had similar plans for the Los Angeles Chargers. This time, the New England Patriots comfortably breezed past them, beating them 16-3. The Chargers’ offense failed to find the end zone, whereas Herbert was sacked 6 times.

While the responsibility for the loss cannot be solely on Justin, as a leader, he is accountable for the team’s performance. The QB has already faced criticism over the years but Schlereth believes that if the 28-year-old quarterback does not make a turnaround this season, the scrutiny against him will only increase.

That said, heading into the 2026 season with new head coach Jim Harbaugh and newly hired offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the Chargers’ performance.