He was the third quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL draft. The Cincinnati Bengals opted for Joe Burrow with the first overall pick and the Miami Dolphins grabbed Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 selection.

One pick later, the Los Angeles Chargers opted for University of Oregon signal-caller Justin Herbert. To date, he’s played in 95 regular-season games, more than the oft-injured Burrow (77) and Tagovailoa (78). He’s helped the Bolts reach the playoffs three times in the last four years. Unfortunately, the postseason has been a four-letter word for he and the team.

Included are Herbert’s career numbers vs. the 14 different teams he will face in 2026. That includes two clubs he and the Chargers have faced in the wild card round each of the last two seasons.

Arizona Cardinals (Week 1)

Although these teams are obviously in different conferences, this meeting with a member of the NFC West will mark the third for Herbert and his team in five seasons. In two previous encounters with the Cards, he’s thrown for a combined 623 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Herbert has been sacked seven times, and has also rushed for 46 yards on six attempts.

Las Vegas Raiders (Weeks 2 and 13)

He’s faced the Silver and Black 11 times and he and the teams have prevailed in eight of those meetings. All told, he owns a 65.4 completion percentage vs. the Raiders. Herbert has thrown for a combined 2,909 yards and 22 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. It’s worth noting that he’s been sacked 22 times in those 11 outings and has lost one of his six fumbles. However, he’s also run 55 times for 165 yards and three scores.

A year ago, Herbert helped the Bolts sweep this series for the second straight year. In Week 2 on a Monday night at Las Vegas, he threw for 242 yards and two scores and ran for a team-high 31 yards. However, he was sacked twice and lost one of his two fumbles in the club’s 20-9 victory. In Week 13 at SoFi Stadium, Hebert threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times and did serve up an interception in a 31-14 triumph.

Buffalo Bills (Week 3)

Herbert will be facing the Bills for the third time and will be looking to be on the winning side for the first time. Two meetings have added up to a combined 316 yards through the air and a subpar 59.6 completion percentage. There has been one TD pass, one interception, and two fumbles (none lost). Herbert has been sacked three times, and held to minus-2 yards rushing on a pair of attempts.

Seattle Seahawks (Week 4)

The Chargers’ current starting quarterback has only faced the Seahawks once in his six-year career, and it did not go well in a 37-23 home loss in 2022. He threw for 293 yards, but had just as many touchdown passes (2) as turnovers, throwing one interception and losing one of his two fumbles in the 14-point loss.

Denver Broncos (Weeks 5 and 18)

Herbert has started 10 games vs. this AFC West rival and the Chargers have won six of those meetings. As far as his individual numbers, he’s connected on 65.0 percent of his passes for 2,499 yards and nearly twice as many TD passes (14) as interceptions. He has been sacked a combined 24 times in those games and fumbled on three occasions (none lost). Herbert has run for 129 yards on 33 carries.

In a 23-20 home victory, he overcame five sacks. He threw for 300 yards and one score, and was also picked off once. In Week 18 at Denver, head coach Jim Harbaugh sat out Herbert and other starters in preparation for the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs (Weeks 6 and 17)

His career numbers in this series are very respectable. But in 11 meetings with the Chiefs, Herbert and the Chargers are just 4-7. He’s thrown for a combined 2,923 yards and 22 touchdowns but has also been picked off seven times. He has run 44 times for 126 yards and three scores. No team in the league has sacked Herbert more often than the Chiefs (30), which makes his one fumble (none lost) against this club pretty impressive.

In both teams’ season opener in 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil, Herbert was superb. He threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover despite being sacked three times in a 27-21 triumph. Three months later in Week 15 at Arrowhead Stadium, Herbest was dropped four times by the Kansas City pass rush. However, he threw for 210 yards and one score and one interception and the Chargers completed the sweep, 16-13.

Los Angeles Rams (Week 8)

Herbert will be facing the Chargers’ co-tenants at SoFi Stadium for only the second time. Four years ago, the Bolts rolled Sean McVay’s club, 31-10. In that contest, the Chargers’ quarterback threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn’t sacked and did not commit a turnover.

Houston Texans (Week 9)

Ouch. Including that ugly 32-12 playoff loss at Houston in 2024, the numbers are pretty ugly here. A total of four meetings adds up to 1,154 yards through the air, along with five TD passes, seven interceptions while being sacked 11 times. In last season’s Saturday clash at SoFi Stadium in Week 17, Herbert threw for 232 yards and one score. He ran for 37 yards and was sacked five times. He was also picked off once and put the ball on the ground twice (neither fumble lost) in a 20-16 loss.

Baltimore Ravens (Week 10)

Herbert will be looking for his first victory in this series in four tries. In three meetings, he has more turnovers (3) than touchdown passes—throwing for a combined 630 yards. He’s run 10 times for 88 yards and one score, but Baltimore’s pass rush has also dropped him nine times in three games.

New York Jets (Week 11)

The 28-year-old signal-caller has prevailed in his only two meetings with the Jets. He’s thrown for a combined 502 yards and three scores without a turnover (1 fumble) despite being sacked eight times. Herbert ran for a total of 28 yards in the two victories.

New England Patriots (Week 12)

The Bolts’ six-year signal-caller has seen plenty of the Patriots during his short stint in the league. The ugly 16-3 playoff loss in January marked his fifth meeting with New England, with the Pats prevailing in three of those contests. Of course, that 13-point playoff loss in January saw Herbert throw for 159 yards, sacked six times while losing 1-of-2 fumbles. He also escaped the pocket 10 times for 57 yards.

So in five clashes with the Patriots, he has thrown for a combined 1,084 yards and five scores, with five turnovers (4 interceptions, 1 lost fumble). He’s run for 73 yards but been sacked a dozen times.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 13)

Herbert has been on the wrong end of two meetings with the Buccaneers, a 38-31 loss in 2020 at Tampa, as well as a 40-17 setback in 2024 at SoFi Stadium. He’s totaled 485 yards through the air with five touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Herbert has been sacked five times and has five rushing attempts for 14 yards.

San Franciso 49ers (Week 15)

There has been only one meeting and it came four years ago in a Sunday night affair at Santa Clara. The Niners rallied for a 22-16 victory in a game in which Herbert threw for 196 yards and one score (1 interception). He was sacked twice, fumbled once (none lost), and ran 22 yards in the six-point setback.

Miami Dolphins (Week 16)

This year’s meeting will have a little added twist to it considering former Miami Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel is now the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. In any case, Herbert has split his four meetings with the ‘Fins dating back to his rookie season in 2020.

He’s hit on 111-of-154 attempts (72.1 percent) for 1,047 yards and six scores with only one interception. He’s been sacked 10 times, but also rushed for 37 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Again, he has fumbled just once and did not lose the ball. Last season, he rallied the club in the closing minute for a 29-27 win at Miami in Week 6.