Justin Herbert Chargers Contract Extension Talks 'Ongoing,' HC Brandon Staley Says

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is under contract for two more seasons, but both sides are already working toward an extension.

Head coach Brandon Staley said Monday that the negotiations are "ongoing," per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.

The quarterback's contract status was always going to be a major storyline around the team this offseason, but new deals at the position have only amplified the noise.

Jalen Hurts inked a five-year, $255 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles in April, which Lamar Jackson surpassed later that month by signing a five-year, $260 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Herbert make more than both of them, especially if their contracts are used as frames of reference. However, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said in a May appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk) that he doesn't see those deals as precise blueprints for the one Herbert will eventually sign:

"Any time there is a contract signed at that position, yeah, it's going to come up in conversation. I wouldn't say there is any quarterback contract out there that is a blueprint. I wouldn't say that at all. But, like anything else, there'll be contracts that'll be talked about. We'll cherry-pick some things out of that contract we like. The agent will cherry-pick some things out of that contract that he likes. In the end, we'll get to a compromise at some point, something that works for everybody. That's what we'll do here. I don't really have a timeframe for it, to be honest with you, but we'll get there."

Herbert has proved himself worthy of a notable extension.

His resume already includes the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and a 2021 Pro Bowl appearance. He threw for more than 4,300 yards in each of his first three seasons, including in 2022, when he completed a career-high 68.2 percent of his passes for 4,739 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Los Angeles is coming off a playoff appearance and is one of the AFC's presumed Super Bowl contenders in large part because of Herbert's presence under center.

It remains to be seen whether he will start the upcoming season without a new deal, but the price will only continue to go up if he remains on his current trajectory.