COSTA MESA — Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert set the bar so high during his memorable rookie year there was concern heading into the 2021 season that Herbert would regress with another coaching staff change.
Herbert’s statistics and performances on the field have made it easy to see there has been no regression in Year 2, but he and the organization received validation on Wednesday when Herbert was named the AFC’s starting quarterback for the 2022 Pro Bowl.
Herbert was one of five starters and six total Chargers selected for the exhibition game, which is scheduled for Feb. 6 in Las Vegas. Edge rusher Joey Bosa, safety Derwin James, center Corey Linsley and rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater are the team’s other Pro Bowl starters.
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen was selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl. The Chargers also had five players named as alternates for the game: running back Austin Ekeler, wide receiver Mike Williams, tight end Jared Cook, defensive tackle Linval Joseph and fullback Gabe Nabers.
“It’s a testament to him and his hard work,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said of Herbert’s honor. “It’s a testament to his teammates. It’s a testament to his coaching staff. He’s certainly worthy of that selection. And I think what he would tell you is that it’s because of his teammates.
“We’ve had a really, really quality season around him. And then he’s been at the center of everything that we’ve done as a football team. I’m so proud of his season. I’m so proud of how he’s leading our football team.”
Herbert is the first Chargers quarterback to be named a Pro Bowl starter since Dan Fouts in 1983. Herbert, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, has 4,058 yards with 32 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 99.1 with three games left in the regular season.
Herbert surpassed expectations for his second season with the help of newcomers Slater and Linsley on the offensive line. They’re the first pair of Chargers offensive linemen to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Marcus McNeill and Nick Hardwick in 2006.
Linsley, who made his first career Pro Bowl, left the Green Bay Packers to join the Chargers in free agency. The Chargers selected Slater with the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft.
Slater became the first rookie offensive tackle to make the Pro Bowl since Matt Kalil (USC) did it in 2012 with the Minnesota Vikings. Slater joined McNeill as the only offensive tackles in NFL history not drafted in the top 10 to be named Pro Bowlers as rookies.
“At the line of scrimmage, for him to perform at the level that he’s performed in the run game and in the passing game,” Staley said, “because it’s not just in pass protection where he’s excelled, he has excelled in the run game. As you guys have seen, we’re running the ball at a high level right now, he’s a big reason why. I think just his overall maturity, his composure, the mental part of the game – when you watch him, much like Justin (Herbert), he just doesn’t make very many mental errors. There’s so much that he’s responsible for. He just has a real presence.”
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James, after missing most of the past two seasons because of injuries, was named to the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career. A candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, he has 103 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions.
Bosa was selected to his fourth career Pro Bowl. He has a team-high 9.5 sacks and leads the NFL with six strip-sacks.
Allen said Herbert deserves MVP consideration because he has the Chargers (8-6) contending for a playoff spot in his second season.
Perhaps the MVP is out of reach with the way future Hall of Famers Tom Brady (Tampa Bay) and Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) have played, but Herbert continues to reach new feats at a rapid pace.
“He’s balling,” Allen said about Herbert. “He is going crazy. He’s leading us in his second year. He’s just making outstanding play after outstanding play. … He’s throwing touchdowns to everybody on the field. He’s ridiculous.”
Justin Herbert is the first Chargers QB to be named to the Pro Bowl within his first two seasons
— Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24) December 23, 2021