NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero didn’t wait to be asked before raising an uncomfortable question for the Los Angeles Chargers. Appearing on “The Rich Eisen Show,” hosted by Rich Eisen, Pelissero brought up the idea that rival teams could soon start calling about quarterback Justin Herbert if the Chargers’ season keeps sliding.
Pelissero pointed to 1-5 or 0-6 as the point when the Herbert speculation could become louder. He made clear that he does not expect the Chargers to trade their quarterback, but he believes other teams could still call and see what it would take to get him.
“Bad teams, if you’re having a bad season, people are going to sit there and frankly try to take advantage of you and go after your good players,” Pelissero said on the podcast. “That’s where the way the season plays out is going to determine a whole lot of different things.”
The backdrop making this worth discussing at all is how badly the Chargers’ 2026 season has started. Los Angeles opened 0-2 with losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, two teams that weren’t expected to give a supposed AFC contender much trouble. Herbert himself has looked far from his usual self under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. His early numbers have been rough: through two games, he has completed 59.3% of his passes for 401 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, while his 29.3 QBR ranks 31st in the league. His passer rating, however, is 71.6.
Quarterback injuries are already starting to pile up around the league. New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, and Pelissero pointed out that every time another starter goes down, the demand for an available veteran quarterback can rise with it.
“The more quarterbacks that get hurt, the more the price might go up to a point where a team goes, gosh, for our number two quarterback, it’s hard to turn down, say, a third-round pick,” Pelissero said.
Herbert’s struggles haven’t gone unnoticed elsewhere in NFL media, either. ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky placed the blame everywhere but on Herbert himself after the Chargers’ Week 2 loss.
“Yesterday wasn’t a Justin Herbert thing. There were 6 or 7 legit jaw-dropping drops on that tape, and their interior offensive line is absolutely atrocious right now. The Chargers look remarkably unprepared,” Orlovsky said.
“It’s a comedy of errors by everyone but Justin Herbert right now.”
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons took the opposite position, arguing Herbert deserves real scrutiny for how the offense has looked.
“I don’t understand why everybody is so terrified to just point the finger at Herbert,” Simmons said. “Justin Herbert is supposed to be your guy.”
Pelissero was careful throughout his comments not to suggest the Chargers actually want to move on from Herbert. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has been consistently clear about how much he values Herbert since taking over the program in 2024, and nothing about the current situation suggests that’s changed behind the scenes.
“Justin’s a winner. I don’t think there’s anyone who could watch him the way he prepares, trains, the level of talent, and not say that he’s a winner. 100 percent in my mind,” Harbaugh said.
Pelissero’s point was less about the Chargers wanting to trade Herbert and more about what happens when a team starts losing. A struggling team with a talented quarterback can still draw calls from around the league, even if it has no plans to make a move.
For now, the Chargers are focused on fixing their problems on offense. But if the losses continue, the speculation around Herbert is likely to grow.