ESPN Analyst makes bold Justin Herbert prediction on ‘Pat McAfee Show’

The expectations have never been higher for Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in what will be a make-or-break year for them.

ESPN NFL Analyst Dan Orlovsky appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” Friday morning and said he believes the team will be better than the Kansas City Chiefs and Herbert will be a top-five MVP candidate when Thanksgiving comes.

“I would be shocked if he is not; this offense will be a top five unit. They’re loaded at tight end, they’re loaded at [running back], if the offensive line is healthy, it’s got a chance to be top five in the league,” Orlovsky said.

Since Herbert’s arrival to the NFL six years ago, he’s shown at times that he could be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks but has also struggled in the biggest moments, as he is 0-3 in playoff games.

In 2020, Herbert was crowned the NFL’s Rookie of the Year winner after having a season where he threw for 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

In his three playoff games, Herbert has struggled to close out the game, avoid turnovers, and step up when his team needs him to the most.

In 2023, the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2024, Herbert had a 4-interception performance against the Houston Texans in the Wild Card, and last year, Herbert had his worst performance of the season, where he went 19/31 while throwing for 159 yards and 0 touchdowns.

Despite the poor results, the team has been committed to building around their quarterback.

This past offseason, the team went ahead and hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to be the new playcaller for Los Angeles. The team also reinvested in their offensive line by selecting four offensive linemen during the NFL Draft, including center Jake Slaughter, who they selected in the second round.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Orlovsky praised the hiring of McDaniel to call plays on the Chargers’ sideline and also added it will be the first time McDaniel has had a gunslinger-type quarterback, but also added that Herbert will need to adjust from throwing the ball hard on every pass.

“It’s all gas dude, like everything is a fastball,” Orlovsky said of Herbert’s play style. “…. McDaniel has always liked these anticipatory quarterbacks that throw to spots and ‘I displace this player, and there’s the void, we throw it there.’ So how quickly and how well Justin gets comfortable with that, maybe a little bit of an offspeed rather than that fireball all the time, it’s gonna be huge.”