Justin Herbert, Philip Rivers and the Chargers Story That Keeps Repeating Itself

The Los Angeles Chargers have spent the better part of two decades with a franchise quarterback good enough to change the fortunes of almost any team in the league, and yet the trophy case at the end of that stretch remains as bare as it was when Philip Rivers first took over for Drew Brees.

That uncomfortable reality is back in focus after former Chargers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko suggested that Justin Herbert is traveling down the same road Rivers did, one paved with records and respect but no Super Bowl at the end of it.

Fehoko, who arrived in Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent in 2020, the same spring the Chargers took Herbert sixth overall, made his case on social media following a 23-17 home loss to the Denver Broncos that left the team winless through five weeks.

He praised Rivers as one of the finest players ever to wear the lightning bolt.

Still, he also wondered whether Rivers privately believes an earlier split might have produced a ring, before posing the question that now hangs over Herbert: “Twenty years from now, will he be content with being another Philip Rivers?”

Fehoko went as far as to declare that Herbert will not win a title in Los Angeles, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the organization has never discussed moving its quarterback and has no plans to.

The comparison is easy to understand when the two careers are laid side by side. Rivers spent 16 seasons with the franchise, set more than 30 team records, and led the Chargers to six playoff appearances, famously gutting out the 2007 AFC Championship Game on a torn ACL, yet he never once reached the Super Bowl.

Herbert has followed a similarly frustrating script, piling up a 52-48 record as a regular-season starter while going winless in three playoff trips, including one-and-done exits after back-to-back 11-win seasons, the latest a 16-3 Wild Card loss to New England.

In both cases, a gifted passer has too often been asked to carry rosters undermined by injuries, inconsistent protection, and late-game collapses.

The differences, however, are just as telling. Rivers was a fiery, trash-talking gunslinger with an unorthodox release who thrived on anticipation and sheer will.

At the same time, Herbert is the 6-foot-6 prototype with a cannon arm and a quiet, almost reserved demeanor that has led some to question whether he can pull a struggling locker room along with him.

Rivers also rarely had to answer for a start as dismal as this one, with Herbert completing just 85 of 143 passes for 937 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions while absorbing 17 sacks.

Rivers himself has said he hopes Herbert enjoys a 16-year run with the Chargers, and the five-year, $262.5 million extension, which carries a no-trade clause through 2029, suggests the franchise feels the same way.

Whether that patience leads to a different ending or simply a familiar one may be the defining question of Herbert’s career.