LA Chargers Week 17 Overreactions: Justin Herbert the best rookie ever?

Overreaction #5: The Los Angeles Chargers should pay for a top backup quarterback

For most of the past season, the Los Angeles Chargers have had one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league in team captain Tyrod Taylor.

While Taylor was never meant to be the backup at such an early point in Justin Herbert’s career, he played a valuable supportive role for Herbert’s growth.

However, the most likely situation in 2021 is that Tyrod Taylor moves on to accept another starting role as a bridge quarterback for a team looking to get a new quarterback, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Considering this situation, should the Chargers pay to get a new, high-level backup quarterback?

While the Chargers are lucky to have a quarterback in Justin Herbert that they do not really need to provide competition for or use in desperation situations (such as how Ryan Fitzpatrick has been used in Miami), there is plenty of reason for the Chargers to consider getting a high-level back up again.

For starters, the Chargers cannot expect Justin Herbert to be as consistently healthy as Philip Rivers once was. Though Herbert is a big quarterback capable of taking heavy hits, things happen over the course of a 16-game NFL season, and backups are frequently needed at important times, as evidenced by today’s quarterback matchup of John Wolford and Chris Streveler in a play-in game between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals.

Are the Chargers really ready to rely on Easton Stick in such a situation?

I personally do not think the Chargers should be so reliant on Stick at this point. We have seen little out of him in game action or in the preseason that suggests he is capable of doing what Matt Moore did for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17.

Additionally, Justin Herbert could do well by having another veteran presence in the quarterback room to discuss ideas on attacking defenses.

The Philadelphia Eagles have kept Josh McCown around for what feels like decades for his ability to support the starting quarterback and step in to operate the offense in a pinch.

The Los Angeles Chargers should seek to find a similar replacement, making the backup quarterback position an underrated need heading into the 2021 offseason.

Verdict #5: Not an overreaction