4 Most Overrated Players in the AFC West Heading Into 2024

4. Justin Herbert, QB — Los Angeles Chargers

Stick with the Chargers, it's hard not to call Justin Herbert overrated at his point of his NFL journey.

Herbert made headlines last summer when the Chargers inked him to a monster five-year, $262.5 million contract. He's set to enter the 2024 NFL campaign with the league's fourth-highest salary ($52.5 million), putting him just a hair under the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes ($52.65 million).

Although both quarterbacks' salaries are mind-blowing, Mahomes' makes sense given that he's led the Chiefs to a trio of Super Bowl titles. Meanwhile, Herbert has done very little to prove that he's deserving of such a massive financial figure.

Since being drafted sixth overall in 2020, Herbert has only led the Chargers to a 30-32 record (48.4%) across 62 career starts. While he's completed 66.6% of passing attempts for over 17,000 yards and 114 TDs to 42 INTs, he's coming off a 2023 performance that saw him average a career-worst 241.1 passing yards per game.

Herbert is also set to play on his huge contract despite having next-to-zero personal accolades to his name. After being named the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the former Oregon Duck has made just one Pro Bowl appearance. Additionally, he's made just one playoff start.

Now that he won't have Allen and Williams to target, time will tell what Herbert can do with an unproven group of receivers. He deserves respect if he can will the Chargers into playoffs with the hand he's dealt, but he also deserves all of the criticism if he fails to take that next step toward superstardom.

Even with Harbaugh's mind running the show, there's a decent chance that Herbert will remain in the overrated conversation one year from now.

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