Denver Broncos fans have been screaming (for years) from the Mile High mountaintops what no one else in the NFL seems to be willing to admit: Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert is overrated.
Of course, the opinions of everyone in Broncos Country won't be strong enough to convince the masses of NFL fans and analysts who seem to worship the very ground Herbert walks on, but one snowflake might be enough to start an avalanche after the horrendous debut of Herbert and the Chargers in a Week 1 loss against the Arizona Cardinals.
Former Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon, who previously worked in the 49ers' front office, put Herbert on blast a little bit with some postgame comments on CBS, basically saying that there's been far too much talk with Herbert, and not enough substance on the field.
Broncos fans will love former Titans GM calling out Justin Herbert after brutal Week 1 loss
"If Justin Herbert does not take the next step, we need to have the real conversation: Does [he] belong in this franchise quarterback conversation?"
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 13, 2026
-Ran Carthon after Justin Herbert's subpar game against the Cardinals pic.twitter.com/6LmqGFTsgr
"If Justin Herbert does not take the next step, we need to have the real conversation, because he's been put into this elite quarterback category, but we haven't seen the results of that...In terms of performance, where has that talent led your football team?"
- Former Titans GM Ran Carthon
The timing of this rant from Carthon is simply too perfect.
Not only did the Chargers lose in Week 1, but they were humiliated because of who they lost to. The Arizona Cardinals have a rookie head coach, a young roster with holes all over the place, and the Chargers are a veteran-laden team with coaching stability...and supposedly, an elite quarterback.
It's also perfect timing, because just days before the start of the 2026 season, NFL.com put out an official list of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Herbert was ranked 7th on the list (Bo Nix ranked 16th). The Ringer ranked Herbert as the 4th-best quarterback in the league. ESPN compiled a list of the best quarterbacks in the NFL from executives and coaches around the league, and on that list, Herbert came in 7th.
This is something Broncos fans have been dealing with now for years. There seems to be a major disconnect between Justin Herbert's physical traits and talent, and his actual on-field performance.
At least Ran Carthon was willing to say something.
For years, Herbert has been considered one of the "elite" quarterbacks in the game, but he's never led the Chargers to a division title. He's never led them to a playoff win, and in fact, has played some of the worst football of his career when he reaches the postseason.
After their loss to the Cardinals, the Chargers are now facing an absolute gauntlet of a schedule.
this was supposed to be their easy game
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 13, 2026
now the Chargers will play the #2 TOUGHEST schedule in the NFL after Week 2
they also have NFL worst -24 days of net rest
7 games with rest disadvantage
4 games vs teams coming off a bye pic.twitter.com/jK0KrpuolB
It's not going to get any "easier" for the Chargers than it was on paper in Week 1. And whether they had a bad day at the office or simply overlooked the Cardinals, a rough performance from Herbert has non-Broncos fans asking the right questions, at long last.
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