The Minnesota Vikings suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday. However, their 6-1 record doesn’t paint an accurate picture of how they’ve performed on offense.
The Vikings boast the league’s 29th-ranked offense (279.4 yards per game), and their passing attack sits at second-to-last (165.6 yards per game). Kyler Murray looks like a bad fit for Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and some have speculated whether they could land another signal-caller ahead of the trade deadline.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz thinks they could take a MASSIVE swing. He urged Minnesota to swing a trade for Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin 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?”
Could The Vikings Capitalize On The Chargers’ Misfortune?
Herbert has been considered a borderline top-10 quarterback throughout his entire career. Some actually believed his talent put him closer to the top-5 range. Players of his caliber are rarely dealt.
However, with the Chargers being the only winless team (0-7) through the first eight weeks, many believe they’ll liquidate their assets with an eye on 2028.
Herbert also hasn’t enjoyed nearly as much success as in years past. He currently leads the league with ten interceptions and has only tossed five touchdowns to go with them. There really isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel for Los Angeles this year.
While his down season would lower his trade value a bit, he would still net a massive draft haul on the trade market. He’s a 28-year-old quarterback with all the traits teams covet out of the position. He also has two Pro Bowl appearances under his belt.
The conversation would start with three first-round selections, and the additional draft capital would hinge on whether they’d be willing to part ways with talented players still on their rookie deals.
Would the Chargers want Jordan Addison? Dallas Turner? You’d have to think anything would be on the table to land a quarterback of Herbert’s caliber.
Jim Harbaugh Has Pushed Back On Trade Speculation Thus Far
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh hasn’t entertained any trade speculation prompted by reporters when asked about their rough start to the campaign. Their hard-headed approach might make any conversations surrounding Herbert’s status obsolete.
With that said, the alternative of him saying, “we’re open for business!” always felt unlikely. That would be a hard sell for a locker room that is still trying to win games. If a deal were to get ironed out, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz would initiate it (or, far more likely, reciprocate it).
If a blockbuster move is on the horizon, we won’t know until it’s been announced. Not when it comes to Herbert, anyway. There will be Manhattan Project-level secrecy when it comes to those conversations.
If he were to be dealt, the Vikings do seem like one of the most likely landing spots, though. The Vikings boast a championship-level defense, and he would immediately elevate their most glaring weakness.
Vikings Believed To Be A Strong Suitor For Two-Time Pro Bowl QB