Who Should I Start? Justin Herbert or Tyler Shough

Saturday, January 11, 11:25 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had the worst game of his career at a very inopportune time, losing 32-12 to the Texans in the first round of the playoffs. Herbert attempted 32 passes, completing just 14 for 242 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. He was also sacked four times, losing 31 yards. Herbert threw three interceptions all season. In 17 regular season games, he threw three interceptions. In one playoff game, he threw four. Herbert got no help from anyone besides Ladd McConkey, but it was still a rough performance from Herbert, who is still looking for his first playoff win.

Saturday, May 10, 1:01 PM

Now that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) has announced his retirement, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport writes that it sets the stage for rookie second-round quarterback Tyler Shough to be the team's eventual starter in 2025. Shough's stock for his rookie campaign was already rising with Carr's availability in question for 2025 due to a shoulder injury, but now Carr is out of the picture completely. The 25-year-old Shough will be competing primarily with Spencer Rattler, who completed just 57% of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions in his rookie season in 2024. Even if the Saints give Shough a little more time to develop and name Rattler the starter for Week 1, it seems likely that Shough will be starting games in the Big Easy sooner than later in 2025. Shough is old for a rookie and has plenty of experience, making him the current favorite over Rattler for QB1 duties.