Every season, there’s (at least) one team and player that gets a whole bunch of hype ahead of the NFL season. It appears Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers will assume that role in 2022.
The Chargers have understandably high expectations following a disappointing end to last season. Bettors are buying in, too, as Caesars Sportsbook revealed Wednesday that Herbert has overtaken Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen for the highest handle to win 2022 NFL MVP.
It’s not just Herbert buzz, either, as Caesars reports the Chargers were second in both tickets and handle when it came to Super Bowl bets placed in July, just behind the Bills. Despite the handle and buzz, Herbert is holding relatively strong at 10-1 at Caesars. He’s actually down to 9-1 in some spots, like BetMGM and FanDuel Sportsbook.
This should come as a surprise to no one who has watched Herbert in his first two seasons. The Oregon product made the most of his opportunity as a rookie in 2020 when he came off the bench early and won Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing 31 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. The decision-making was a little more suspect in Year 2, but there was no sophomore slump for Herbert in 2021, as he threw for more than 5,000 yards to go along with 38 TD passes.
He also has quite the fan in Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
LA is doing all it can to help Herbert, too. The Chargers used a first-round pick on left tackle Rashawn Slater last year, and they followed it up by grabbing offensive guard Zion Johnson in the first round this year.
It’s not just a big season for Herbert. The Chargers need to make something happen. Despite Herbert’s two-year performance, he has yet to play a playoff game.
LA fell flat on the final day of the season in 2021, losing in overtime to the Las Vegas Raiders with a playoff spot on the line (a game in which Herbert threw two touchdown passes in the final 4:28 to force overtime). But the Super Bowl buzz makes sense, too, given an impressive offseason from general manager Tom Telesco. The Bolts made one of the biggest defensive splashes, signing J.C. Jackson to a deal with the hopes of improving a pass defense that ranked 19th in DVOA last season.
But if the Chargers can stay healthy, they unquestionably are on a short list of Super Bowl contenders. They’re no worse than 16-1 to win it all despite playing in arguably the best division in the league.
