Chargers' Justin Herbert Lands in Peyton Manning's Top-5 Quarterbacks in NFL

Herbert is regarded among the best quarterbacks.
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Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning listed Justin Herbert as one of his top-five quarterbacks currently in the NFL. Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion and five-time NFL MVP. listed Herbert, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen as his five best signal-callers while speaking with Stephen A. Smith.

"This Justin Herbert is as talented as anybody," Manning said of Herbert at Fanatics Fest.

Herbert is entering his fifth NFL season since the Chargers made him the No. 6 overall pick out of Oregon. He quickly established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league as a rookie, using his rocket arm to set the NFL rookie passing touchdowns record with 31. Herbert also threw for over 4,000 yards as a rookie and is one of the five rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to do so.

Herbert followed up his rookie campaign by throwing for over 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns as a sophomore, joining the exclusive 5,000-yard club. He broke Matthew Stafford's NFL record for the most passing yards in a quarterback's first two seasons and passed Dan Marino's record for the most passing touchdowns in his first two seasons.

While Herbert has often been included in the list of the NFL's quarterbacks along with the four others Manning listed, he has yet to earn the accomplishments those quarterbacks have. Patrick Mahomes is of course out of this world as a three-time Super Bowl champion.

After Mahomes, who is far and above every other quarterback in the NFL, Burrow has already reached the Super Bowl, Allen has taken the Bills to the playoffs each of the last five seasons, and Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP. Herbert has made it to the wildcard round of the playoffs and earned one Pro Bowl, but is seeking more success and a better team around him under new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

The 26-year-old quarterback is currently working through a plantar fascia injury in his foot this summer which has kept him out of playing in the preseason this year. Herbert did return to practice on Monday and is no longer wearing a walking boot. The Chargers expect him to be ready in time for the start of the regular season on Sep. 8.

More Chargers:

Chargers' Justin Herbert Seen Practicing For First Time Since Injury


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Eva Geitheim

EVA GEITHEIM

Eva graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. She has been covering college and professional sports since 2022.