The Los Angeles Chargers’ decision not to add a veteran quarterback this spring after the departure of Philip Rivers in free agency surprised a lot of people.
At that point, it was assumed former Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl quarterback Tyrod Taylor would be the starter. That was complicated a bit after Los Angeles selected Justin Herbert No. 6 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. With Chargers players and coaches reporting to training camp this week, we now have some clarification on the situation.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn indicates that Tyrod Taylor will likely be Week 1 starter
This makes a lot of sense given just how far behind the learning curve Herbert is right now. As most of you already know, NFL teams did not hold in-person off-season activities this spring or summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the ramp up time before teams actually take to the field for practice during training camp, there’s no real reason to believe Herbert will be ready for Los Angeles’ Week 1 outing against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 13. With no preseason games next month, that’s magnified even further.
Tyrod Taylor could be a good stop-gap starter for the Chargers
From 2015-17, the former Virginia Tech star compiled north of 10,000 total yards with 65 touchdowns compared to 16 interceptions as a member of the Bills. He earned a trip to the Pro Bowl back in 2015. At the very least, Taylor can hold down the fort until Herbert is ready.
As for the Oregon product, it remains to be seen whether he’ll see the field at all this season. It will depend heavily on what Herbert shows in practice and if the Chargers are in playoff contention towards the latter part of the campaign.