The Los Angeles Chargers feel they have a top 5 quarterback in the NFL. Los Angeles Chargers fans feel their quarterback is one of the five best. Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, who now works as an analyst for NBC, does not.
Simms ranked the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL but he listed Herbert right outside the top 5, at No. 6. Herbert missed several games last season and that could certainly be a factor in Simms' assessment, but of the guys he put ahead of him should stir a bit of a debate.
Is Matthew Stafford a better quarterback, right now, than Justin Herbert? That's a great question and one that adds fuel to the "Battle of L.A.".
Justin Herbert ranks No. 6, behind Matthew Stafford, in Chris Simms' QB rankings
The top four on Simms' list should come as no surprise.
1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Josh Allen
3. Joe Burrow
4. Lamar Jackson
I know Chris Simms' QB rankings are always polarizing but he put Matthew Stafford at No. 5 in his top 40 for the 2024 season 👀 https://t.co/tyOYviC3SD
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) June 11, 2024
Though you could debate the order, that would be the top four that most would have. But Stafford, who turned 36 years old in February, is a curious choice.
He certainly has a more accomplished career than Herbert, but how many general managers would prefer Stafford over Herbert right now? The answer can't be very many.
Herbert, who is 10 years younger than Stafford, will have a new receiving corps this year and the chance to come out firing the ball despite Jim Harbaugh's usual run-first approach. He will be coming off a broken index finger that shut him down in 2023, so he will need to regain some of his footing, but his talent is still top-5 in the NFL.
