Justin Herbert provides the Chargers with an advantage at the most important position on the football field in nearly every game.
That said, the Bolts face a gauntlet of quarterbacks this year. Here is our ranking of every quarterback Herbert will square off against:
1. Matthew Stafford, Rams, Week 8
The 38-year-old Stafford just delivered his first MVP season. And it’s not like he was shabby before 2025. The veteran gunslinger has been one of the best quarterbacks of his generation and is showing no signs of letting up.
His brilliant season earned him yet another new contract extension, which could pay him $105 million over the next two seasons.
As long as Stafford stays healthy, he’s as good as it gets.
Edge: Rams
2. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, Weeks 6 & 17
In a normal year, Mahomes would sit atop this list. He is, quite simply, the GOAT of his generation.
But he’s also coming off a serious knee injury, and he wasn’t playing his best football before going down last December.
The down season, by his standard, had more to do with the talent around him than a personal dip in skills. But between that and the injury he’s rehabbing from, it might take a little while before he regains his mantle.
Nevertheless, he’s a handful every time he takes the field.
Edge: Chiefs
3. Josh Allen, Bills, Week 3
We’re getting into eye-to-eye at this point, with Herbert taking a back seat to no one the rest of the season. That said, Allen is supremely talented, and with offensive-minded head coach Joe Brady now in charge, expect him to help push Allen to an even higher plateau.
Allen’s ability to beat you with his arms and legs makes him a nightmare opponent.
Edge: Bills
4. Lamar Jackson, Ravens, Week 10
Jackson isn’t coming off one of his best seasons, although an early-season hamstring injury didn’t help. Never one to make excuses, all you had to do was watch him play to understand the setback limited him. The explosiveness simply wasn’t there, and he seemed tentative when it came to using his legs to make plays.
Assuming he’s back to form, expect Jackson to be his normal self. He is also working under innovative offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, a 29-year-old wiz kid who spent last season as the Bears’ offensive coordinator.
Doyle helped unlock Bears young quarterback Caleb Williams, and he’s tasked with maximizing all of Jackson’s skills. Or at least getting him back to his normal self.
Edge: Push
5. Brock Purdy, 49ers, Week 15
Purdy is coming off an injury-plagued season, which explains the 10 interceptions he threw in 11 starts, including the playoffs. He just looked off after getting banged up and missing time.
It also didn’t help that the 49ers’ playmaking weaponry was water-downed compared to previous seasons, or that star tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles and played just 11 games.
Purdy will get slept on a little bit as a result. But with better health, improved help, and Kyle Shanahan’s ability to scheme up game plans that accentuate his quarterback’s strengths, expect Purdy to bounce back.
Edge: Chargers
6. Drake Maye, Patriots, Week 12
Had it not been for his lackluster performances in the AFC Championship game and Super Bowl, Maye would be much higher on this list. In fact, up until those last two games, he was a solid MVP candidate.
But those games did happen, and as a result, he needs to redeem himself.
He has the traits to be a superstar. But he’s not quite there yet.
Edge: Chargers
7. Sam Darnold, Seahawks, Week 4
This feels low for Darnold, whose career resurgence over the last two years includes a breakout season with the Vikings and leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship.
The turnaround he’s made from bust to Super Bowl hero is the stuff of legends. And he has plenty of time to separate himself from the player he once was, and the one that left an indelible negative impression.
Another great season and Darnold is being talked about as one of the top-tier quarterbacks in the NFL.
Edge: Chargers
8. Bo Nix, Broncos, Weeks 5 & 18
It’s difficult to gauge whether Nix is really good or just a solid player who benefits from a great supporting cast and the careful system he plays in that camouflages some of his weaknesses.
With Davis Webb taking over as the Broncos’ playcaller from Sean Payton, we may find out. The buzz in Denver is that Webb is going to be much more aggressive in how he handles the offense, which will put much more on the shoulders of Nix.
How he responds will determine just how we view him moving forward.
Edge: Chargers
9. C.J. Stroud, Texans Week 9
Stroud was downright awful during the playoffs last year, and we simply can’t unsee that. And it wasn’t like he was all that great during the regular season either.
He feels light years away from the brilliant rookie season he delivered in 2023, when he threw 23 touchdowns against just five interceptions and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
He’s got some work to do to get back to that point and back in everyone’s good graces. The talent is there, but it feels like he’s at a crossroads right now, especially with the Texans deciding whether to give him a new contract.
Edge: Chargers
10. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, Week 13
At this stage, Mayfield is what he is. A very solid quarterback who, when he has sufficient help, will fight and scratch to get everything out of himself and his team.
When everything is right, he’s good enough to keep his team in playoff contention. Once there, if the stars are perfectly lined up, he can help a team win a postseason game.
But putting a team on his shoulders and lifting it to new heights? He isn’t that guy.
Edge: Chargers
11. Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza, Raiders, Weeks 2 & 14
It feels like Cousins will get the nod from the Raiders to start the season, but it’s only a matter of time before Mendoza is the starter in Las Vegas.
It would be a surprise is the Indiana rookie wasn’t under center by Week 14.
If Cousins is healthy and the starter, he could easily move up on this list. But that is a big if. As for Mendoza, he’s absolutely got a high-level skill set, but it will take some time before he gets there.
Edge: Chargers
12. Geno Smith, Jets, Week 11
That Smith is back with the Jets seems bonkers. But he and they were both desperate enough to create the unlikely reunion.
After suffering through a miserable season in Las Vegas, Smith wants to prove he can be the quarterback that delivered a few solid seasons in Seattle.
But is the situation with the Jets reality any better than what he dealt with in Las Vegas?
For all we know it might be worse.
Edge: Chargers
13. Malik Willis, Dolphins, Week 16
Willis attempted just 89 passes over the last two seasons, both with the Packers. But he did complete 78.7 percent of them while throwing six touchdowns and no interceptions.
It earned him a three-year contract worth up to $67 million with the Dolphins, and just as importantly, a chance to solidify himself as a bona fide NFL starter.
It should not take long to figure out if those Packers numbers were just a mirage or if Willis is the real deal.
Edge: Chargers
14. Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals, Week 1
Brissett is not participating in the Cardinals’ offseason program while seeking a new contract. So who knows whether it’s he, Gardner Minshew, or Carson Beck under center when the Chargers open the season against Arizona.
Of them, only Beck has the potential for a long-range future with the Cardinals. In reality, they have their eye on next year’s quarterback draft class, which is setting up as one of the deepest and most talented in years.
Edge: Chargers
