Former Oregon Ducks star quarterback Justin Herbert has drawn significant criticism after Week 1.
Quite a few former Oregon Ducks stars took the field in the NFL for Week 1 action on Sunday. Arguably the most notable of those former stars was Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Since being drafted by the Chargers with the No. 6 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Herbert has been widely viewed as one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league. Unfortunately, the team success he has led Los Angeles to has not matched the hype.
Entering Week 1, all eyes were on Herbert and the Chargers. They had a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals and were heavy favorites. Herbert and company failed to live up to the expectations.
Los Angeles ended up losing to the Cardinals by a final score of 26-14.
Herbert played decently throughout the game under the leadership of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. He completed 17 of his 27 pass attempts for 209 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also chipping in with 29 rushing yards on five attempts.
At the end of the day, those numbers weren't enough to get a win.
Following the game, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky spoke out about Herbert. He threw some criticism at both the former Ducks star and McDaniel.
“Way too much pistol, way too much gun,” Orlovsky said during an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show."
"Justin got locked onto receivers far too often, meaning, I am only throwing to this guy, instead of getting to his second or third read. That is what happens in the McDaniel system. They can become so convicted because they think the play call is so good and it worked all eight times you repped it in practice.”
During his four-year tenure at Oregon, Herbert was a legitimate college football superstar. He completed 64 percent of his career passes for 10,541 yards, 95 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. Herbert also ran for 560 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
Throughout his first seven NFL seasons, the 28-year-old quarterback has thrown for 24,820 yards, 163 touchdowns, and 58 interceptions, while also completing 66.5 percent of his passes.
Hopefully, the 2026 season picks up for Herbert. Oregon fans will continue rooting him on as he tries to live up to the hype that has surrounded him in the NFL.
Next up for Herbert will be a Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
