Going into this season it was assumed that the Los Angeles Chargers were going to start Tyrod Taylor for the season, effectively red-shirting the Chargers sixth overall pick this last draft Justin Herbert. But after Taylor reportedly felt chest pain in pre-game warmups before their week two game against the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, it was time for Herbert to step up. And step up he did. Herbert showed poised decision making and mobility of a modern quarterback that made commentator Tony Romo gush over how the rookie looked. Herbert completed 22 of 33 passes for 311 yards and made the defending Super Bowl champions earn a 23-20 overtime victory.
While Taylor is a good backup in the league, your ceiling is quite low with him under center. But apparently Herbert’s performance did not resonate enough with Charger’s coach Anthony Lynn, who said he would start Taylor if he was healthy. “I’m gonna wait and see what type of health Tyrod is in,” Lynn said. “He was our starter for a reason, and if he’s 100 percent, ready to go, he’s our starter. But I know that Justin can pick up the slack if he can’t.”
Herbert still made some rookie mistakes that may have hurt L.A.’s chances, but that is a terrible call by Lynn. I get bringing rookies along slowly but when they show you that you can perform, stubbornly sticking to your guns isn’t impressive, it just shows that you are inflexible in your decision making. We still may see more of Herbert since it is reported that Taylor went to the hospital after having trouble breathing, but it is clear that he is the best passer on their roster, and Lynn should see that before he takes away Herbert’s confidence.
