Justin Herbert is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but his performance has largely been overshadowed by the team’s struggles.
The 2026 season has the potential to tell a different tale.
The Chargers essentially won the coaching cycle by hiring former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as the offensive coordinator. The Bolts also spent the offseason bolstering the roster, finding more protection for Herbert.
Given the solid supporting cast Herbert has around him, PFF’s Bradley Locker believes the stars have aligned for the 28-year-old to have his first All-Pro season.
“Herbert’s 2025 season still feels like a vastly underappreciated one. Despite playing behind the league’s lowest-graded offensive line and with a receiving corps that placed 20th in PFF receiving grade, the Chargers stud ranked 10th in overall PFF grade (78.0) among qualified quarterbacks. Also encouraging was that Herbert’s 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate tied for the fifth-lowest,” Locker writes.
“The circumstances for Herbert will be diametrically different in 2026 as he returns two Pro Bowl-caliber tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, plus ushers in one of the game’s foremost offensive minds in Mike McDaniel. As the gunslinger boasting the fourth-best PFF passing grade (90.6) since 2021, it’s fairly surprising that Herbert has never made an All-Pro team. The cards may finally fall into place in 2026, although he’ll also face steep competition.”
Herbert earned one first-place MVP vote that notoriously altered the race between Matthew Stafford and runner-up Drake Maye. The Chargers quarterback was chosen because of his gritty performance despite the porous offensive line around him and the lackluster offense.
What can Herbert do with a high-powered offense and a formidable line to go with it? Only time will tell.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Why PFF believes Justin Herbert could be named All-Pro in 2026
Reporting by Valentina Martinez, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
