Report: Justin Herbert, Chargers Agree to 4-Year Contract Worth Around $26.6M

Quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers agreed to his fully guaranteed four-year rookie deal worth nearly $26.6 million on Saturday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

The Oregon product is taking over an offense featuring promising weapons, including tailback Austin Ekeler, tight end Hunter Henry and wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. 

While the team will have to fight through an AFC West with the reigning Super Bowl champs in Kansas City, its future hasn't been as promising since well before it left San Diego. 

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Herbert to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz before the draft, noting he can spray the ball all around the field whether in the pocket or on the run. The former Rose Bowl champion has already earned plenty of praise for his athleticism from Chargers general manager Tom Telesco.

"He's much bigger—and that was the one thing I noticed when I saw him live this past year was just how big he is," Telesco told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He's 6'6", 240. Very athletic, very fast for a taller quarterback. He's tough. He's highly competitive. The arm strength is all there."

That doesn't exactly mean Herbert will open the season as the Chargers starting quarterback. Tyrod Taylor has plenty of starting experience, and his veteran presence may mean the team will focus on Herbert's development before deploying him in games. 

"It's going to be a competitive room," head coach Anthony Lynn told the media of his quarterbacks. "At the same time, those guys are going to learn from each other. I think Justin [Herbert] is walking into a great situation because he couldn't be around two better pros than [QB] Tyrod [Taylor] and Easton. They have different skill sets to what we've had here in the past. All of these guys, they have arms that can make every throw, they're mobile and just allow you to do more things. 

With Herbert just entering Year 1 of his rookie deal, the expectations don't need to to be met right away. Lynn and Telesco can make sure their new quarterback is progressing without putting too much of the burden on him.