In fairness to ESPN analyst Ben Solak, when he declared this week that the Cleveland Browns are one of the teams that should weigh trading for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, he indicated that he did not think the Browns actually would try to trade for him, or that the Chargers would engage them in such talks. But Solak touched a nerve anyway, because if there is one thing that Browns fans do not need these days, it is a suggestion that the team cough up a string of first-round draft picks to bring in a quarterback on a $262 million contract with $218 million guaranteed and no possibility of wriggling out of it until 2029. Folks in Northeast Ohio who are still coming to terms with the Deshaun Watson effect are a bit sensitive about things like that here in the 2020s.
Herbert has been pretty awful here in 2026, with 1,398 yards passing in seven losses with no wins, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions, plus a 69.3 quarterback rating. That’s not the kind of production that should require multiple first-round picks–Herbert had a great start to his career and is still thriving based on reputation rather than performance.
‘Take a Chance’ on Justin Herbert
Here’s what Solak wrote about the Browns and a potential Herbert chase this week:
“How about the Browns? The LHD, no matter how fervent, must admit that Herbert would be the best Browns quarterback since … Bernie Kosar in the ’90s? The point here is that, for as far as Herbert’s stock has fallen this season, the steepness and suddenness of the decline smells fishy. Either this is an unprecedented collapse of what was, at least, a good starting quarterback in his prime or a blip on the radar of an otherwise solid NFL career. Isn’t this the moment to take a chance?“
Browns Should Steer Clear
Again, there does not seem to be much chance that the Browns would seriously entertain a blockbuster trade for Herbert. But the sensitivity is there, and it’s understandable. Well-known Cleveland sports talker Ken Carman has a finger on the pulse of that sensitivity and had a pretty stiff warning against a Herbert pursuit on Wednesday, just before news came down about Deshaun Watson’s concussion.
Carman said the Chargers have given Herbert a very good supporting cast: “You went and you got Ladd McConkey. They have Joe Alt on that offensive line. Rashawn Slater … cost them a boatload of money. I don’t want to hear anything about them not having anything around him. That’s what upsets me.
“We’ve gotten better around Deshaun Watson and he has taken somewhat of an advantage about that. He’s not terrified of the position and he is not complete and utter garbage. He’s still not great. And maybe Justin Herbert naturally is better. But Justin Herbert started in a better position than what Deshaun Watson did. And I am getting numbers and people are making comparisons that are as bad or worse than Deshaun Watson. So, what, I am just going to make the Deshaun Watson mistake all over again? And give up three first-round picks and possibly two next year? For what? For a guy that’s broken?”
Understandable.
Browns Warned on Trade Pursuit for $262 Million ‘Broken’ QB