Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County
Even with the fat pay raises he got two summers ago, Justin Herbert remains one of the better NFL bargains.
One reason the Chargers stand 7-3 is that Herbert outperforms most NFL quarterbacks while ranking only 13th in salary cap charge at his position.
Herbert costs his team a lot less than what several other quarterbacks cost. Among the priciest are his fellow AFC stars Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Because a dollar saved under the NFL salary cap can be a dollar spent on another position, the Herbert Bargain has improved the Chargers’ odds of building a better roster around him.
The defense has benefited. Bolts safety Derwin James and edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack rank second, third and fourth at their positions in salary cap charge.
This year, Herbert costs $17.7 million less than Mahomes, $13.1 million less than Jackson — who the Chargers play Monday night in the Kroenke Dome — and $11.1 million less than Allen, per Overthecap.com.
The Chargers therefore have many more non-QB dollars to spend than the Chiefs, Ravens and Bills.
Why the big pay disparity between Herbert and his fellow AFC star QBs? The others are more accomplished, and Mahomes, 29, Jackson, 27, and Allen, 28 got their mega-contracts before Herbert, 26, got his massive contract two summers ago. Typically the fatter cap charges come deeper into deals.
Herbert this year also costs $10.3 million less than Joe Burrow, his 2020 NFL draft colleague.
The Bengals drafted Burrow first, five spots before Herbert went to L.A. Further enhancing his earning power, Burrow led his third Bengals team to the Super Bowl.
Advantage, Team Spanos.
This year’s Bengals’ defense looks low on depth. Where Cincinnati’s defense sits 28th in points allowed, the Chargers stand first. In last week’s game between the AFC teams, the disparity stood out in the first half as the Chargers built a big lead. L.A. held on to win, 34-27.
Of course, salary cap charges are just one of many ingredients in the pie.
There’s no guarantee that a team’s bigger investment in any position will bear fruit. The smarter teams find young players who outperform their tiny salaries.
Coaching can matter a lot more than salary-cap disparities. L.A.’s defense is performing much better under coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter than it did last year under head coach Brandon Staley and coordinator Derrick Ansley.
Executive leadership matters a lot, too.
Under John Spanos and Tom Telesco, the Chargers accomplished little in the fourth seasons with Herbert performing as a top-10 QB while on a first contract that paid him meager salaries.Those Chargers stood 17th of 30 teams in winning rate (.494), won no AFC West titles and lost the only playoff game they played, “Chargering” away a 27-0 lead at Jacksonville.
In their first offseason, Harbaugh and the GM he hired, Joe Hortiz, hit on several free-agent signings and made a good trade.
Finally, true greatness tends to be worth the price it commands.
Under well-paid coach Andy Reid, who belongs in the top-10, at minimum, in NFL annals, the Chiefs have navigated brutal salary-cap challenges to reach four of the past five Super Bowls, winning three. Mahomes, who’s already an all-time great, led the 2023 Chiefs to the franchise’s second consecutive Super Bowl win, while carrying the NFL’s largest salary cap charge at his position.
Herbert and Hurts
Is another NFL quarterback proving himself a bargain like Herbert?
Jalen Hurts, 26, is that QB.
Despite a massive contract extension he earned by leading the 2022 Eagles to the Super Bowl, Hurts stands only 16th among QBs in cap charge, a factor in Philadelphia boasting a top-level roster. He costs $5.5 million less than Herbert.
Herbert passes better and may sprint faster, too. A capable passer, Hurts differentiates himself as a versatile rusher who leads all QBs in rushing touchdowns (11) and rushes for a first down (44). Giving the Eagles a critical edge over every other NFL offense, Hurt continues to run an NFL-high number of sneaks and succeed at a high rate of them, despite the offseason retirement of center Jason Kelce, a six-time All-Pro.
The Eagles (8-2) will try to make it seven consecutive victories Sunday as Hurts leads them against the Rams (5-5).
Originally Published:
Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County