‘We respect the heck out of him’ — George Karlaftis on where the Chiefs’ defense ranks Justin Herbert among NFL QBs
It’s going to be a chess match on Friday.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert is in a bit of a gray area among NFL quarterbacks.
Some consider him elite, and others believe he’s more in the mid-tier. However, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis made it clear how the team views Herbert while speaking to the media on Tuesday.
Chiefs have the upmost respect for Justin Herbert
“I’m not going to say what differentiates him because, in my opinion, that doesn’t really matter,” Karlaftis said. “He’s one of those elite guys, one of those top quarterbacks that really can do it all. There’s the Patricks (Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes) of the world, the Justin Herberts of the world, (Buffalo Bills QB) Josh Allen, Lamar (Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson), the list goes on, but he (Herbert) really can do it all. I guess I should say what makes him different is that he can do it all, like those elite guys. He can throw the ball. He’s dangerous with his feet. So, he really can do it all. He’s really smart, too. We respect the heck out of him.”
Talent-wise, Herbert is definitely among the best QBs in the league. As Karlaftis said, he can make every throw, is very intelligent, and possesses underrated mobility. Herbert has thrown for at least 4,000 yards three times during his five-year NFL career, and went over 5,000 yards in 2021.
The lack of big game success, particularly during the postseason, has definitely been a black eye on Herbert’s career thus far. He has only beaten the Chiefs twice out of nine tries, and one of those wins came in a game in which K.C. rested its starters for the playoffs. Herbert is 0-2 in the postseason, and has not led L.A. to a division title.
If he can take the Chargers on a deep playoff run, he could become more accepted as an elite QB. However, the days of Herbert putting up huge yardage and TD totals could be behind him with coach Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offensive approach, which will make having playoff success even more crucial to his legacy. If Herbert loses to the Chiefs once again on Friday night, the pressure could mount on his shoulders early on in 2025.
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