Justin Herbert: From Oregon Duck to NFL Star

Justin Patrick Herbert, born on March 10, 1998, is an American professional football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). His journey to becoming a prominent NFL player began during his college years at the University of Oregon, where he excelled both academically and athletically.

Early Life and Academic Inclination

Justin Herbert always wanted to know the why and how about the world around him. It ran in the family. Both his grandfather and father were biologists, so the young Herbert felt drawn to natural-science studies throughout his formative years and academic career.

“It just explained how everything worked,” Herbert told USA TODAY Sports. “Everything you see around you has a reason, and whether it’s how you breathe or how your cells work together, it’s always been really interesting.”

The thirst for answers drove Herbert in the classroom through college, where as a three-time Academic All-American, he graduated from Oregon with a degree in biology and a 4.01 grade-point average. But he credits his parents’ emphasis on academics and cultivating his mental makeup for his success on the football field. The 6-6, 241-pound quarterback clearly possesses exceptional physical talent.

College Career at Oregon

Herbert's collegiate career at the University of Oregon was marked by significant achievements and consistent growth. He showcased his talent from his early years, becoming the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Oregon since 1983. He was also the fastest player in program history to reach 4,000 passing yards (17 games) and 5,000 passing yards (21 games).

2016 Season: Freshman Year

In 2016, Justin Herbert began to make a name for himself. He was listed as the backup quarterback but eventually stepped up as the starter. After the fifth game of the season, Herbert became the starting quarterback. He showcased his talents by throwing for 1,936 yards including 19 touchdowns with just four interceptions in eight starts. He led a come-from-behind upset when playing the ranked No. 11 Utah Utes. The team scored four touchdowns in the final 15:27 of the game to overcome a 14-3 deficit. In eight starts, Herbert had a 6-2 record and threw for 1,983 yards on 139-of-206 passing attempts (67.5%), including 15 touchdowns against only five interceptions. He was also named Manning Award Quarterback of the Week. At the end of the season, players voted him team MVP.

2017 Season

Despite Oregon firing their head coach after a disappointing season, Herbert continued to develop.

2018 Season: Transition to the Pistol Offense

Herbert entered his third collegiate season as an early Heisman Trophy candidate despite being coached by a third different head coach. He also learned a third different offensive scheme with new head coach Mario Cristobal, transitioning from the spread offense to the pistol offense. Despite projecting as a high draft pick, Herbert announced that he would return to Oregon for his senior season.

2019 Season: Senior Year and Rose Bowl Victory

As a senior, Herbert guided the Ducks to a 12-2 record, a No. 5 national ranking and the 2019 Pac-12 title. A 2019 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 honoree, Herbert completed 286 passes for 3,471 yards and 32 touchdowns during his senior campaign. Herbert led the Ducks to a 12-2 record, including a win in the Rose Bowl where he ran for three touchdowns and was named Offensive MVP. In his best statistical collegiate season, Herbert totaled 3,471 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and four rushing touchdowns.

Academic Achievements and Recognition

In addition to his athletic prowess, Herbert excelled academically. In 2019, he became the first Oregon player to earn the Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. In addition to his on-field success, Herbert was named the 30th recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership, and is also referred to as the "Academic Heisman".

Read also: US Education System Performance

NFL Career with the Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert's outstanding college performance paved the way for his entry into the NFL. He was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, marking the second highest selection of a Campbell Trophy® recipient in its history.

2020 Season: Rookie of the Year

Herbert quickly made his mark in the NFL. Herbert became the Chargers' starting quarterback in the second game of his rookie year. He remained the starter for the rest of the season and set several rookie statistical records, including the most touchdown passes and 300-yard games. After taking over as the Chargers’ starter in Week 2, he orchestrated a rookie of the year campaign that saw him break NFL rookie records for the most passing touchdowns (31) and completions (396).

He was named the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his performance. He was also named PFWA Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

2021 Season: Pro Bowl Selection

In 2021, he became the first quarterback in Chargers history to throw for over 5,000 yards and was named to his first Pro Bowl. In 2021, Hebert set Chargers single-season records with 5,014 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns while being named to his first Pro Bowl, where he was named the game's Offensive MVP.

2022 Season

In Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Herbert threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns for the second consecutive game. In the fourth quarter, Herbert suffered a fracture to his rib cartilage.

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2023 Season

On April 28, 2023, the Chargers picked up the fifth-year option on Herbert's contract. On July 25, he signed a five-year extension worth $262.5 million, which extends through the 2029 season.

2024 Season

Herbert entered his fifth NFL season with his third different head coach, as Brandon Staley was replaced by Jim Harbaugh. In Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans, Herbert passed David Carr for the most completions by a quarterback in their first five seasons. From Weeks 2 to 14, Herbert recorded 357 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the fifth-longest such streak in NFL history. In a 40-7 victory against the New England Patriots in Week 17, Herbert passed for 281 yards and three touchdowns to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. Herbert had an efficient year in his first season under Jim Harbaugh, finishing with 3,870 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and just three interceptions, along with career highs in rushing yards. Herbert's 23:3 TD-INT ratio (7.67) ranks eighth all-time in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 15 touchdown passes in a season.

2025 Season

Herbert and the Chargers opened the 2025 season playing in São Paulo, Brazil, against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Recent Performance

6 days ago Herbert completed 29 of his 38 pass attempts for 264 yards and two touchdowns in the 29-27 win over the Dolphins on Sunday. Despite being under duress for most of the game, Herbert was excellent moving around the pocket and extending time to create enough room to hit Ladd McConkey (7-100-1) on a number of crossing routes, while Oronde Gadsden had his biggest game of his young career as an underneath safety net. The emergence of Kimani Vidal as a legitimate piece of the rushing attack, albeit against a porous run defense, could do wonders to help Herbert steady the ship with multiple offensive lineman banged up with varying injuries.

Mental Fortitude and Adaptability

But the mental strength - learning and reacting quickly, poise, preparedness - ultimately elevated Herbert. As he aims to follow up that impressive rookie campaign with an offseason of growth, despite a wave of organizational change, he’ll have to lean heavily on his studious habits. Last season, COVID-19 restrictions robbed NFL teams, and rookies in particular, of the traditional offseason preparation. To make up for lost time, Herbert - who entered training camp and the regular season as the backup to Tyrod Taylor - spent additional time with then-quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton outside of practice to better learn the offense.

The goal “was to prepare as if you’re the starting quarterback, and that’s something that coach Pep Hamilton and I focused on. We’d be out on the field before practice, after practice, walking through the plays, walking through the footwork, mechanics, everything you could think about, so if and when I did have to go in, I’d be ready," Herbert said.

As with biology, the more Herbert studied the Chargers’ playbook and defenses, he gained an understanding of the reasons why and how things worked in the NFL. “You understand why it’s happening, why they’re doing that," he said. "Why certain teams play certain fronts. Why they bring these pressures … When you’re up at the line of scrimmage, it has to be so quick. It just needs to be understood immediately. There’s no time to sit back and think."

Overcoming Adversity

Herbert endured highs and lows during the Chargers’ 7-9 campaign. Reflecting on a challenging rookie experience, Herbert said, “It’s just one of those things you have to move on past. Adversity is going to happen and you’re going to throw interceptions and incompletions. It’s all about the next play, next drive, next series, next game."

Fantasy Football Outlook

Herbert is entering his sixth NFL season following a solid but unspectacular fantasy campaign in 2024. Playing in Jim Harbaugh's and Greg Roman's slow-paced, balanced offense (as opposed to pass-heavy schemes of prior years), Herbert finished no better than ninth among QBs in pass attempts, pass yards, pass TDs, carries and rush yards. Herbert has now finished just outside the top 10 in fantasy PPG three seasons in a row, though he did improve in the second half of last season (24th during Weeks 1-7, but 10th in Weeks 8-18).

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