Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers suffered yet another wild card round loss on Sunday night, falling to the New England Patriots with a 16-3 final score.
The Chargers’ offense was completely stagnant throughout the game as Herbert finished with just 159 yards on 19/31 passing. The sixth-year NFL quarterback took a beating behind Los Angeles’ depleted offensive line, taking six sacks in the playoff loss.
In the first quarter, the Chargers’ defense gave the offense a short field after notching an interception off Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. But, Herbert and his unit were unable to capitalize — turning the ball over on downs from New England’s two-yard line.
Herbert shouldered the blame after the Chargers’ loss, taking responsibility for his team’s lack of offensive production.
“I didn’t play well enough and didn’t make any plays,” Herbert said during his postgame press conference. “When it mattered most we didn’t score any points.”
Herbert has made three postseason appearances since taking over as the Chargers’ quarterback in 2020, losing each game. Through his 0-3 playoff record, he’s amassed 674 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions with a 54.7 completion percentage.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Herbert continued. “I haven’t figured it out yet. Hasn’t happened, so we’ll have to reevaluate and see what happens.”
Herbert, who played through a broken bone on his left non-throwing hand, was without both of his starting offensive tackles — Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt — for much of the 2025 season. He finished the year with 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on 66.4% percent passing, earning his second career Pro-Bowl selection.
Herbert and the Chargers now turn their attention toward the 2026 NFL season.