Chargers, Vikings urged to team up for wild Justin Herbert trade

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert just had what may have been the worst team of his NFL career, going 14-for-32 with 242 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions during the Chargers' Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans.

Consider this: Herbert threw three picks all season.

The former first-round pick is now 0-2 in the playoffs, and the criticism he has faced for being unable to truly elevate his team will now be even stiffer as he prepares to enter a long offseason.

It's also that time of year where people suggest wild trades that would probably never happen, and now that Herbert just put up a stinker in the playoffs, you can bet that a whole lot of fans will be baselessly calling for the Chargers to ship him out of town.

But Warren Ludford of Daily Norseman has suggested a rather intriguing trade between Los Angeles and the Minnesota Vikings: Herbert for J.J. McCarthy.

I would not be surprised if Jim Harbaugh wanted to get out of Justin Herbert’s contract. It doesn’t make sense to have such a big QB contract in his offense. If he could trade for JJ McCarthy and trade Herbert he would.
— Warren Ludford (@wludford) January 12, 2025

Remember: Jim Harbaugh coached McCarthy at Michigan and won a national championship with him last year, so he surely has an affinity for his formet quarterback.

But the chances of the Chargers actually doing this are slim to none unless the Vikings throw in a ton of extra draft capital.

Look: Herbert has struggled in the playoffs, but it has only been two games, and he remains one of the best signal-callers in the sport.

You can bet that a whole host of teams around the NFL would gladly sell the farm for Herbert, who is definitely one of the league's most impressive passers.

But if Minnesota did come to the Bolts and offer them McCarthy and a bunch of other stuff for Herbert, the Chargers might not immediately hang up the phone.

It still has a 99.9 percent chance of being rejected, though.

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