The trade deadline is turning into an absolute Wild West, and somehow Justin Herbert’s name is getting tossed around as the Minnesota Vikings’ QB fix.
The Vikings sitting at 6–1 while watching their passing game stall makes the temptation obvious, and throwing a talent like Herbert into Kevin O’Connell’s offense sounds like a video game move.
The Chargers being 0-7 makes it all the more tempting. Justin Herbert simply isn’t clicking in Mike McDaniel’s offense, and a fresh start could be what he needs. The Chargers are too far gone to save their season, but the Vikings are just in time.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert Gets Interesting Vikings Trade Pitch
That’s why, On SI’s Albert Breer urged the Vikings to make a call to Los Angeles and try to convince Joe Hortiz.
“It can’t hurt to make that phone call if you’re the Vikings,” Breer said. “Do I think Joe Hortiz is going to say, ‘No way, we can’t trade a franchise quarterback ’? Yeah, I think he’s going to say no way.”
Breer also drew the parallels he sees between Matthew Stafford with the Lions and Herbert’s situation.
“I will just say this about Justin Herbert, I don’t think a lot of what’s happened this year is on him. I think if you go back to last year and you talk to people around the league, a lot of people felt he was playing at an MVP level in a near-impossible situation…it reminds me of the way people talked about Matthew Stafford in Detroit.”
Even ESPN’s Aaron urged the Vikings to swing a trade for Herbert.
“Chargers QB Justin Herbert. Go big or go home,” Schatz wrote. “Would coach Kevin O’Connell be able to unlock the skills that made Herbert great early in his career in a way L.A. coordinator Mike McDaniel hasn’t been able to this season?”
Beyond the absurd cap hit, everyone telling Minnesota to throw three first-rounders at L.A. is skipping the biggest roadblock on the contract sheet: Justin Herbert’s full no-trade clause.
Justin Herbert Decides if He Goes Anywhere
In plain terms, the Chargers couldn’t ship him anywhere even if a rival front office dropped a king’s ransom on the table.
It puts 100% of the veto power directly in Herbert’s hands.
For a trade to even exist, Herbert himself would have to actively demand out and sign off on the specific city. That flips the entire narrative. This isn’t a scenario where L.A. can quietly shop their franchise quarterback behind closed doors, it means Minnesota’s front office isn’t just negotiating with the Chargers, they’d have to sell Herbert on waiving his career protection.
Until Herbert agrees to waiving off the clause, any trade pitch about him is pure fantasy. In other words, Herbert’s not going anywhere until he wants an out.
Even with an 0–7 record screaming fire sale, Los Angeles has shown zero appetite to start blowing up the roster.
Front-office reports indicate the Chargers have put a hard stop on trade discussions for expiring veterans like Khalil Mack, shutting down seller calls across the board.
If General Manager Joe Hortiz isn’t even willing to cash in on expiring pass rushers for draft capital, the odds of L.A. entertaining a franchise-altering move for their $262 million quarterback are virtually non-existent.
That said, the NFL trade deadline is notorious for generating late, chaos-fueled shockers right before the clock hits zero, leaving the door just cracked enough to see if L.A.’s resolve holds or if an aggressive offer forces them to cave.
Chargers Forced to Face Wild Justin Herbert Trade Speculation Involving Vikings