Justin Herbert NFL form (Getty Images)
The former MVP made the case on his 4th & 1 podcast after Los Angeles fell to 0-4 with a Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Herbert has 816 passing yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions this season, and Newton says the quarterback is a big reason the team cannot win. “His passer rating is 70. Completion percentage 59%. His QBR is amongst the worst of all quarterbacks, at 27,” Newton said. Pro Football Network’s quarterback impact metric agrees on the direction, placing Herbert last in the league at 61.4.
Because of who he is, the risk is higher for Herbert.
Maybe he needs to put his hind parts on the bench,” he said. Newton pointed to a “franchise quarterback with a huge contract,” and then to a team with no wins. Justin Herbert ain’t getting the job done,” he said.
Cam Newton thinks the Los Angeles Chargers should seriously consider sitting Justin Herbert . The comments put Herbert’s job in an unusual spotlight for a player on a large contract. They also raise a harder question for head coach Jim Harbaugh. Newton did not soften it. “We need to have a case study out for him. Then he got more direct. “Justin is the reason why the Los Angeles Chargers are losing. He backed that up with numbers. The contract is the other half of his argument. In his view, that deal makes Herbert the common denominator, the one who is supposed to be the difference. “Well, we need a difference made, right? Still, Newton knows something about being the face of a struggling team, and his point has a human side. A short stay on the sideline can give a passer time to see the game differently. For some players, it works. For others, it hurts confidence and makes things worse. He is not a young player fighting to keep a job. Sitting him would send a loud message about the whole team, not only about him.