Is it a position of need?
“It’s way down the list,” Reid said. “You could say it’s probably their last position of need honestly.”
Herbert will continue to hold down the QB1 spot for the foreseeable future, as the 28-year-old keeps stamping himself as one of the best in the league.
They also have the backup quarterback position set in free agency after they brought back Lance, who filled in spot duty last year and showed he was more than capable of holding it down in case of emergencies.
But if the Bolts do want to invest into a later round or undrafted quarterback to develop, Reid believes this could be a draft to do so.
The Chargers only have Herbert under contract in 2027, and Reid believes they could opt for a quarterback to “develop in case you need an emergency.”
Key Questions for 2026
1. How do you think the pairing of Herbert and Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel will fit in 2026?
“I think he fits the scheme really well, especially with what Mike wants to do, which is a lot of motions, shifts, keep defenses at bay and keep their mind wondering and swimming. I think he’s a fantastic playcaller, we saw what he was able to do in Miami and Justin needs someone to unlock him like that. I think the pairing is going to work really well.”
2. When looking at this year’s quarterback class, how would you assess the depth?
“I would say below average. If you’re looking for starters outside of [Fernando] Mendoza, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with taking any of these guys in the first round. Second, third, fourth, fifth rounds after that, I think that’s where we’re going to see a lot of these guys come off the board. There’s a big cluster in that third, fourth round range with Garrett Nussmeier out of LSU, Carson Beck out of Miami, Drew Allar out of Penn State. I think those guys are really clumped into that third round range, that Day 2 range is where a lot of the guys will probably go. I think it’s a below average class, especially if they’re looking for starters.”
3. Obviously the Chargers have Herbert, but how does this class stack up for potentially drafting or signing a developmental backup?
“They’re fully comfortable with Justin Herbert already being in the middle of the extension as well. They’re locked in with him. As far as if they want to take a chance with a Day 3 or undrafted player, I think this is a great group to do that. But if you’re looking for a starter, I don’t think this is a great group if you’re looking for someone to come in and be an immediate contributor. If you’re looking for a backup or a No. 3 to develop in case you need an emergency situation or things like that, I think this is a great group for that.”