While Justin Herbert was always seen as the foundation of the Chargers, it looks like people’s patience with his potential is wearing thin. It seems like not everyone still thinks he is an elite quarterback, with one national radio host coming out and questioning whether the former No. 6 pick has actually lived up to the hype Los Angeles built around him.

“His last two playoff games in Houston through five picks,” ‘Mad Dog’ Russo said on First Take. “Unbelievably horrific. And I understand the tackles are hurt. Lewis will get into that last year in New England, but he was terrible on that Sunday night game. Two big playoff games. He didn’t show up. They don’t have a home-field advantage. I’m not so sold that he is going to be as good as he thought he was going to be, say two or three years ago.”

Here’s the thing about Justin Herbert: nobody questions the arm talent. That’s never been the debate. But talent and results are two different conversations, and right now his playoff resume is doing a lot of the talking for him, and not in a good way.

Six seasons into his career, Herbert has gotten the Chargers to the postseason three times, including back-to-back trips the last two years. Sounds solid on paper. Except once they’re actually in the playoffs, the wins just haven’t come. He’s 0-3 in the postseason, still searching for that first win, and that’s the number that keeps this conversation alive every single offseason.

Former NFL player Gerald McCoy isn’t letting it slide either. On the same episode of First Take, he called out the pattern.

“This just falls in line with more excuses (we’re) making for Justin Herbert. If he needs time, that’s fine. But every time y’all get a chance, stop going to the mountain top and screaming ‘He’s a top five talent.’ Top five talent doesn’t make you a top five quarterback.”

He kept going, too.

“If y’all need to give him time, then stop every chance you get, oh he is a top five talent, he is this, he is that, we need to see it. Anybody else they talk about as much as they talk about Justin Herbert, we have seen some semblance of it.”

But, to be fair, the statistics do show just why this faith remains unwavering. Over six consecutive seasons, he accumulated 24,820 career passing yards and 163 career touchdowns, and played a pivotal role in getting the Chargers into double-digit victories in 2025.

He gained 3,727 yards through passing in the previous season. He also won 11 games while being sacked 54 times.

And according to the offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Herbert has “exceeded expectations” in learning the offensive scheme as of May, and there’s going to be an emphasis on running plays rather than throwing in a more efficient way than the one Greg Roman used.