Chargers' Justin Herbert gets utterly disrespected in favor of Packers' Jordan Love

Justin Herbert has been compared to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa his entire career. While the Chargers have not had the same team success as the Bengals or Dolphins, Herbert has better career numbers and looks more impressive on tape than the other two.

The trio of top-10 quarterbacks from the 2020 NFL Draft class are no longer alone. The 2023 season served as Jordan Love's introduction to the league as one of the most talented young quarterbacks in the sport. Love looked great in his first full season as the Packers starter, leading the team to a 9-8 record and a surprise playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Love is now due for a massive contract extension as he plays under his fifth-year option in 2024. Love's annual salary could exceed $60 million with how the quarterback market is growing. Those around league circles definitely think Love deserves it, and quite frankly, are perhaps getting a bit too excited about the Packers quarterback.

While he was not mentioned directly, Herbert was quickly passed over in favor of Love by NFL insider Mike Tannenbaum. Tannenbaum stated he would choose Love over every non-Patrick Mahomes quarterback to build a franchise around.

Mike Tannenbaum snubs Justin Herbert in favor of Jordan Love

Ouch. Not only did Tannenbaum state that he would take Love over any other non-Mahomes QB in the sport but he didn't even give Herbert the honor of being mentioned. Tannenbaum mentioned Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud but Herbert's name was nowhere to be found.

Ironically enough, all of the positives that are being lauded about Love also apply to Herbert. Herbert is the same age as Love (only 8 months older), is taller than Love, and can do all of the things that Tannenbaum said Love can do. He also is a great leader, is smart, can dissect a defense.

Are we sure Tannenbaum wasn't accidentally talking about Herbert instead?

This is by no means meant to discredit Love, who absolutely was fantastic for the Packers last season. But this is a perfect example of NFL media latching onto the "flavor of the month". Love could have had the exact same season last year and if the Cowboys outscored the Packers to win that game there wouldn't be this much talk around him.

But because he had a good year, and because he beat "America's Team" on the biggest stage, Love's stock is at an all-time high. That is great for him and is great for the Packers, but the rest of the league should not be forgetting about Justin Herbert.

That might be for the best, though. For years now, Herbert has been the darling of talk show radio and advanced analytics. With a lack of team success, the love for Herbert always seemed misplaced to opposing fans.

Now that the spotlight is on other young quarterbacks (Love and Stroud), Herbert can go out and do what he does best: play elite-level football. A year from now, Tannenbaum and those singing Love's tune may have a vastly different opinion.