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Comparing Justin Herbert’s rookie year to the best quarterbacks in the NFL

By Jason Reed

Nov 22, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a deep pass to wide receiver Tyron Johnson (83) against the New York Jets during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. New York Jets outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins (48) tries to pressure Herbert at right. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a deep pass to wide receiver Tyron Johnson (83) against the New York Jets during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. New York Jets outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins (48) tries to pressure Herbert at right. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
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(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) – LA Chargers
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) – LA Chargers /

Justin Herbert compared to Aaron Rodgers’ 2008

Aaron Rodgers sat for quite some time before getting the starting quarterback job of the Green Bay Packers from Brett Favre. Not only did Rodgers have three years of watching one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time but he had a significant advantage in his age when he got the starting job.

Rodgers was 25 when he became the starter of the Pakcers in 2008. Herbert is only 22. Keep that in mind as we are comparing a 22-year-old kid to a 25-year-old adult. One can rent a car without a young driver’s fee and one can’t.

Rodgers was certainly good in his first year as a starting quarterback but he was not as stellar as you would think for it being Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers finished with 4,038 yards, 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He ran the ball for 207 yards and four touchdowns.

In one less game, Herbert is on pace to have nearly 500 more passing yards than Rodgers had in his rookie season, eight more touchdowns and fewer interceptions. That is the part of this that I really want to focus on.

Rodgers has been one of the best in the business in protecting the football. The last time he threw double-digit interceptions was in 2010 and he has a career interception rate of 1.4%.

He has been that rare blend of quarterback that has an elite arm and makes incredible gunslinging-like plays without turning the football over and even he got the turnover bug his first year as a starter.

Herbert has not, at least not as bad. Yes, he has been picked six times but he has only thrown more than one interception in a game once. He had one really bad decision in his first start against Kansas City. Outside of that, he is not making bad decisions, the defense has just made five good plays on the football.

This does not mean that Herbert is guaranteed to throw interceptions at an even lower rate than Rodgers has in his career. However, it does show that Herbert’s 1.7% interception rate is pretty damn good for a rookie.

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