2021 is shaping up to be a triumphant year for the LA Chargers as Justin Herbert forges ahead into his sophomore season. But how far can this team really go with the Chiefs standing in their way in the AFC West first and foremost?
If I had to pick one team in football for Justin Herbert to not be sharing a division with at this very moment, it would undoubtedly be the Chiefs, especially considering the way the Chiefs ended their 2020 season in embarrassing fashion thanks to Tom Brady and the Bucs.
What may work against Herbert and the LA Chargers come 2021 is the fact that a brighter star in Patrick Mahomes will be on a revenge tour to get back to the big game and make amends for getting blown out the way he did last season.
The Kansas City Chiefs losing in the Super Bowl makes things tougher for Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers.
Any kind of positive year Herbert has will then be cast aside into the shadows in favor of that of the Patrick Mahomes story of redemption.
Coming down the stretch of 2020 (before postseason play) I was super high on the Bolts going into this season and I still remain so. But what's really going to be an issue for Justin Herbert and this team will be a possible Chiefs railroading of the entire league en route to a revenge Super Bowl title.
Had the Chiefs won that game against Tampa and were standing here today as NFL champions once again, I'd say Herbert and the Bolts have a much more favorable shot at ousting them in upset fashion in the division. But upon KC's Super Bowl loss just a few months ago, one would have to think the pendulum is getting ready to swing back the other way in the Chiefs' favor in 2021.
That does not mean the Chargers' 2021 season will be a wash. There is plenty to be excited about as a Chargers fan and all the pressure in the world is firmly off Herbert's shoulders if we want to look at the positives of a division showdown with KC.
All the stress will be on Mahomes to prove he can come back after the proverbial trust fund ran out. The Golden Boy who has had everything go his way so far in his NFL career has finally faced some adversity and now he has the chance to prove he belongs in the elite company so many have been so quick to thrust him into already.
Mahomes' journey in 2021 will both overshadow Justin Herbert and also allow Justin to move in those shadows undetected- playing looser and will the pressure firmly off his shoulders.
We know Herbert and the Bolts are going to be a good team this year and years to come. We know LA's Super Bowl prospects have dramatically spiked ever since Justin took his first snap in Charger blue. The clock has just begun ticking on Justin's career while a pivotal moment is a coming in the career of Golden Boy Mahomes.
Can Mahomes come back and redeem himself?
In the meantime, Justin Herbert and co. will be able to play loose and calmly find a way to sneak into the postseason. If they can find a way to inch past the Chiefs, fantastic. If not and they still get into the playoffs, 2021 will be considered a success.
Will Herbert and the Bolts be overshadowed in 2021 by the Chiefs? I say yes they will. But even if they are, that doesn't mean their season will be for not. Charger fans, your team is in one of the best spots you can be in professional sports.
Nobody is going to see the Bolts coming this year. All eyes will be on Mahomeboy. That works heavily in Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers' favor.