From the Los Angeles Chargers’ perspective, they have one of the best franchise quarterbacks in the NFL. Outsiders, though, may not agree. After all, Justin Herbert still hasn’t been able to deliver a playoff win six seasons after becoming the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky stuck his neck out for the Chargers QB, but his take didn’t land well with fans on social media.
Dan Orlovsky’s Praise for Justin Herbert Backfires
While Herbert is certainly an above-average QB, it’s fair to question whether he’s reached his full potential yet. Even PFN’s Impact Score had the Chargers QB ranked 18th with a grade of 75.1 last season.
Yet, despite the lack of playoff success, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky argues that Herbert gets a bad rep. After all, Orlovsky pointed out he’s still the one who “got them there.”
Orlovsky stated his case on ESPN’s “First Take,” but he admitted Herbert hasn’t played “his best ball in the playoffs.” Herbert is 0-3, with Wild Card losses coming in each of the past two years under coach Jim Harbaugh.
“Everyone who hates on Justin Herbert, there’s some validity to that he has not played his best ball in the playoffs; you can say that about a couple quarterbacks as well, but he still got them there while being decimated by injuries,” Orlovsky said.
“Maybe he hasn’t been Patrick Mahomes, but he’s still a freaking awesome player.”
Dallas Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill Jr. saw the “he still got them there” argument as a joke.
“Lol. Does that count? Asking for Dak Prescott,” Hill remarked.
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Like Herbert, Prescott is a great player, but playoff success has escaped him. Though unlike Herbert, Prescott is a former fourth-round pick. He’s also been in the league for 10 seasons and has led the Cowboys to just a 2-5 record in the playoffs.
Herbert is a two-time Pro Bowler. Yet, with the tools he has, the mobility to make plays with his feet and uncork deep shots downfield with ease, some argue that Herbert has All-Pro potential, and he just hasn’t lived up to it. As Orlovsky says, “he’s still a freaking awesome player.”
Even with that in mind, one commenter on X doesn’t want to hear Orlovsky’s analysis anymore, saying, “This dude needs to get slandered every time he opens his mouth to talk about a QB.”
The challenge comes in helping him experience postseason success on top of crushing it during the regular season too. That’s a task that has continued to get the best of Herbert’s Chargers, no matter who his coach is.
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Perhaps the addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel can help get the most out of Herbert’s skill set. At least that’s the current hope.
Another commenter suggested that Orlovsky shouldn’t get the type of platform he has to “speak about it (the NFL) nationally.”
“What has Dan Orlovsky done positive for the sport for him to speak about it nationally and have a vote? I’m so confused.”
One Baltimore Ravens fan account pulled out the receipts from Orlovsky’s old tweets where he criticized Lamar Jackson, and called the ESPN analyst a “hypocrite” in the process.
“The hypocrite strikes again 😐”
Yet another commenter questioned where that passionate defense is for the Ravens’ two-time NFL MVP, who obviously is one of the game’s best QBs, but has led his team to a 3-5 postseason record.
In some respects, Jackson should be held to a higher standard because he’s viewed as a top-five player; well, he’s been voted the best player on two occasions. Yet, a Super Bowl ring continues to elude the two-time MVP.
Some would argue Herbert should be subject to similar, if not more, criticism. While he hasn’t earned an MVP award, at least Jackson has won a trio of postseason contests, whereas Herbert is still seeking his first victory.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.