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As we are 10 weeks away from the 2025 NFL season, the playoff picture is becoming clearer, while the favorites for individual player awards are becoming clearer.
Of course, the most talked about award is league MVP, and that’s been a fun debate throughout the league.
There’s Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones shining for the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, Drake Maye looking like a cool veteran with a New England Patriots team with the same record, and Matthew Stafford looking back on his heyday with the Los Angeles Rams.
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Ladd McConkey of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates with Justin Herbert #10 after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 28, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
But there’s one name who hasn’t received the same recognition despite similar numbers as his team shows it’s a true playoff contender: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Charger star receiver Ladd McConkey may be a little biased, but he agrees his quarterback should be right in the conversation alongside the league’s other leaders.
“I tell you, he’s a stud,” McConkey told PK Press Club Digital while discussing his partnership with Dr. Pepper ahead of “The Pepper Portal” heading to his old stomping grounds at the University of Georgia this weekend. “I don’t know what else he should do. He’s in great shape.
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“I mean, he’ll never say it. That’s not the type of guy he is. He won’t say, ‘Oh, why don’t I understand this, I don’t understand that.’ If we win football games, I think this guy will be happy. He just needs to keep playing the way he’s been playing, and he’ll be fine. »
The Chargers, under second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, have seen Herbert lead them to a 7-3 record, which includes a three-game winning streak after a dominant win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While there were huge contributions to this start for Los Angeles in all three phases, Herbert rose to the occasion, just like McConkey says. He ranks second in the NFL in passing yards (2,610), only behind Jones with the Colts (2,659), and is tied for third with 19 passing touchdowns alongside Maye.
Ladd McConkey of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates with Justin Herbert after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 28, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
But one element of Herbert’s game that has been unlocked more this season has been his ability to rush. He leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards (324), which has kept many defenses honest because he’s not afraid to drop back and run at times for huge gains.
What hurts Herbert, however, are his eight interceptions this season. He obviously wants to reduce this figure. However, he played at an elite level, while injuries hurt this team at key positions like left and right tackle, with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt out for the remainder of the season.
For McConkey, his relationship with Herbert developed quickly when he arrived as a rookie last season. In 16 games, McConkey had 82 receptions for 1,149 yards with seven touchdowns.
This season, McConkey has totaled 631 yards on 51 catches with four touchdowns, including one against the Steelers in the 25-10 victory on “Sunday Night Football.”
“It’s great. Justin is a great guy,” McConkey said when asked how their relationship developed so quickly. “Being able to come in year two and be able to feed off each other on the field, knowing what he wants to expect and how he wants me to run this route, where he wants me to go out there. Speed it up, slow it down, whatever. I feel like we’re getting better week by week and we’re still moving forward.”
There are still seven games left for Herbert and the rest of the NFL MVP hopefuls. Maybe Herbert’s name will come up more at the end of the regular season.
But as McConkey mentioned, that’s not his ultimate goal. The Chargers have their eyes on the playoffs for another season, where they hope to make a deeper run than last season when they lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers throws a pass in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans during the game at Nissan Stadium on November 2, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
While McConkey is certainly confident the Chargers will find their footing in January football, he’s also still listening to his Georgia Bulldogs.
McConkey won’t be able to be at Sanford Stadium this weekend to watch No. 5 Georgia take on No. 10 Texas in a crucial SEC game, but he will watch before his own game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dr Pepper continues to host special game day events this college season with “The Pepper Portal,” a one-of-a-kind fan experience connecting rival college towns before the big game.
“It’s sick,” McConkey said of “The Pepper Portal.” “I just see what Dr Pepper can do with the college football fan base, bringing everyone together. I know what it was like in Georgia – those fans are always ready. Just having that and the Pepper portal, being able to have back and forth with Texas and they’ve just been in the second year of the SEC now. We need to show them what a real SEC is, Dawg Nation.”
