The LA Chargers have maintained that they’re not going to trade Justin Herbert, but we’ve already seen this fall that premium draft picks talk when it comes to dealing. The Tennessee Titans had steadfastly said for years that they would not trade star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, until the Chicago Bears overwhelmed them with a deal that landed Tennessee two first round picks and a fourth round pick.
If Chargers GM Joe Hortiz is to put Herbert on the market, it would be fascinating to see what sort of compensation he would go for.
We saw the two first round picks go for Simmons, and while Simmons is arguably the best player at his position in the NFL, he is not a quarterback.
We saw quarterback JJ McCarthy go from the Vikings to the Giants in exchange for a fifth round pick, but McCarthy’s stature around the league was nowhere close to what Herbert’s has been. There are several potential contenders with QB needs at the moment.
Here is a look at the latest NFL trade rumors involving Herbert.
Justin Herbert to Ravens trade rumors
Many are speculating that we’ve already seen Lamar Jackson take his final snap in Baltimore.
The longtime Ravens QB suffered a right thumb injury on Baltimore’s first offensive snap against Buffalo this past Sunday and could be out for the season. Backup Tyler Huntley (turf toe) is definitely out for the season.
Needless to say, the 4-4 Ravens are in dire need of a QB.
There is a ton of crossover between the Chargers and Ravens organizations, so the communication lines are definitely open. Ravens head coach Jesse Minter was the defensive coordinator with the Chargers for the past two seasons and has long been associated with Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz was in the Ravens organization in a variety of roles from 1998 to 2023, before taking the GM role in LA in January of 2024.
On Wednesday, the Ravens made a smaller move at the QB position, trading for veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett. The deal will be finalized this weekend. Brissett started the first eight games for the Arizona Cardinals but was benched for Gardner Minshew midway through the Cardinals’ 33-30 comeback overtime win. Afterwards, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur demoted Brissett to third string behind new starter Minshew and rookie Carson Beck.
Justin Herbert to Vikings trade rumors
The Vikings are 6-1 but their lack of offensive production with Kyler Murray running the show has been concerning. Murray is now dealing with hamstring tightness.
If the Vikings had just an average QB this season, they would be likely be in a much better spot. Few are taking Minnesota seriously as a true Super Bowl contender right now as is currently constructed. Despite the 6-1 record, the Vikings have +2500 Super Bowl odds right now at Fanatics Sportsbook. A whopping 11 teams have shorter odds to win it all.
“I wouldn’t mind the Vikings taking a swing on [a Herbert trade],” said Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer this week. “I think the idea of trading for a player like this is similar to the idea of trading for a player like Jeffery Simmons. Jeffery Simmons wasn’t necessarily available. I really think that Justin Herbert … there’s a top five quarterback in there. It’s not what I’m seeing. It’s what the rest of the league is seeing. It’s what people I talk to are seeing. It’s in a way that it reminds me of the way that people talked about Matthew Stafford in Detroit.”
Justin Herbert to Saints trade rumors
This one would certainly be the most shocking, but there are several reasons as to why it might be entertained.
The bloom is off the rose with Tyler Shough as the 27-year-old hasn’t had a passer rating over 100.0 since Week 3.
While the Saints are just 2-5 on the season, they are by no means punting on this season.
Every team in the NFC South is currently below-.500, with the Carolina Panthers in first place at 3-4. Winning the division is still very doable for the Saints.
In addition, Saints head coach Kellen Moore was Herbert’s offensive coordinator with the Chargers in 2023. Herbert was having a highly productive season under Moore’s tutelage before the QB broke the index finger on his throwing hand in Week 14 and did not play the rest of that season.
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