4 perfect Justin Herbert trade destinations that could save his career after playoff disaster

Justin Herbert is one of the most talented players in the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback has a number of records to his name, including the most passing yards in league history through his first two, three, four, and five seasons.

Furthermore, Herbert’s three straight seasons with 4,000 passing yards are an NFL record. He even owns almost every rookie passing record. While the talent is evident, the Chargers haven’t won a single playoff game during Herbert’s six-year tenure. The team is 0-3 in the postseason with Herbert under center, and they most recently lost 16-3 to the New England Patriots in a game where Herbert and the offense couldn’t get anything going.

The Chargers shouldn’t trade Herbert, as it would be nearly impossible to get a replacement as talented as the Oregon product. The team instead needs to add more pieces around Herbert that can help the team break through. However, many football fans are clamoring for Herbert to be traded so he can have a better chance of contending.

So, which Herbert trade destinations could actually make sense and help turn his playoff misfortunes around?

The Indianapolis Colts need a quarterback after Daniel Jones’ injury

Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning both made their names with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, and the two signal callers rank among the best quarterbacks in NFL history. However, Indianapolis has struggled to figure out the quarterback problem for years now. After Andrew Luck retired, the team tried different bridge options, including Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, and Joe Flacco, but none of them proved to be a franchise option.

The team swung on Anthony Richardson in the NFL Draft, but he looks like an NFL Draft bust after losing a quarterback competition to Daniel Jones and because he has been hurt for a sizeable chunk of his career. Jones found success this past season, but the team stumbled after he tore his Achilles tendon, and now his future is in doubt because of the gruesome injury. The Colts resorted to going back to Rivers at the quarterback spot to end their season. He was 44 years old and had been retired since 2020 before the comeback attempt.

Now, the Colts will likely again be looking for yet a new gunslinger. The rest of the roster is solid; the team simply needs a high-level quarterback. Herbert could be that guy. With him under center, the Colts would have one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the NFL. Jonathan Taylor is one of the league’s best running backs, and the team has a great receiving corps with tons of depth.

The defense also has plenty of talent. The Colts are all in on winning sooner rather than later because they gave up a lot of draft capital to acquire Sauce Gardner. That trade may prevent the Colts from having a competitive offer for Herbert, but if they could figure out the details on a trade, the Colts are one of the few teams with a championship-caliber roster that is just lacking an upper-echelon quarterback.

The Las Vegas Raiders could trade the No. 1 pick for Justin Herbert

Of all the quarterback-needy teams, the Las Vegas Raiders have perhaps the most intriguing trade offer to make for Herbert. The Raiders own the number one overall pick. In all likelihood, Las Vegas will take Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Dante Moore from Oregon also has a case for the top pick. If the Raiders don’t fall in love with either player, they could trade their premier draft capital for a proven quarterback like Herbert.

It wouldn’t be worth trading the first overall selection for anyone of a lesser caliber than Herbert, and perhaps the Chargers would be willing to reset their timeline with a younger quarterback. The Raiders see Herbert twice a year, so they are well aware of just how talented he is.

Interdivisional trades are also pretty rare, so that is the one thing that could prevent this trade from happening. If the Chargers see Hall of Fame potential in Mendoza or Moore, they just may be willing to take the risk and trade with the Raiders, though. After all, a rookie first-rounder will be under contract for longer than Herbert and will come at a much discounted rate in comparison to his $52.5 million average annual value.

The Chargers will already have the most cap space in the NFL this offseason. Shedding Herbert’s contract would allow them to completely overhaul the roster with a massive spending spree during free agency.

Justin Herbert would make sense for the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are set to move on from Kyler Murray this offseason. The former first overall pick has shown flashes of greatness, but he has been too streaky since being drafted. Herbert’s production has been more consistent than Murray’s, but it hasn’t resulted in the Chargers winning playoff games.

A change of scenery in which these two are swapped for each other could pay off for both teams. The Cardinals would have to include more assets, likely both in the form of players and draft picks, in order to flip Murray for Herbert. The Chargers could covet these new pieces, and the Cardinals would be more than happy to get a quarterback upgrade during an offseason in which they are already looking to replace Murray.

While this would be a downgrade at quarterback for the Chargers, especially because Murray is a year older than Herbert, the Arizona Cardinals quarterback is perhaps the most deserving player at his position of a second chance. He still has loads of potential despite his Cardinals tenure being somewhat underwhelming.

A Justin Herbert trade to the Minnesota Vikings could work

The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in 2024. Through two seasons, injuries have limited him to just 10 games. The Michigan product and college national champion has plenty of potential, which is why the team chose him over retaining Sam Darnold.

They may be regretting that decision, though. With a great defense and Justin Jefferson, one of the best receivers in football, on the roster, the Vikings are just a quarterback away from being a problem. McCarthy didn’t do much this season to prove he has a bright future, but he was a top 10 pick not long ago, so perhaps the Chargers would be interested in taking on his development.

Kevin O’Connell is a playcalling genius. With O’Connell’s offensive mind, the Herbert-led Vikings’ offense would become elite. Herbert would surely break through to find postseason success in Minnesota.

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