Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa will forever be connected. The 5th and 6th picks in the 2020 draft will be compared throughout their careers. The Chargers drafted Herbert- a ready made team- that put him in a position to succeed immediately. Tua ended up on one of the most talent deprived rosters in the league. And had a coach who reportedly did not want him. According to many reports, GM Chris Grier overruled then coach Brian Flores. Who wanted the big-armed West Coast product over the slighter, more accurate Alabama product. And through the first 2 years of their careers, it looked like Flores was right. However, Flores never put Tua in a position to have success. In Tua’s first season in the league he had the dinosaur Chan Galey calling plays. In his second season, Brian Flores appointed co-offensive coordinators; Eric Studesville and George Godsey.
Justin Herbert vs Tua Tagovailoa is a fascinating debate. Tua’s play in 2022 has made it a real conversation. Herbert has the highlight throws that Tua will never be able to make. Some have called Herbert a “Social media Quarterback”. I stole that from Sam Acho- thanks for that line. Tua’s greatness is not so easily seen. His timing, command of the offense, and pinpoint accuracy are elite. But the untrained eye can’t identify it as easily as a 45-yard frozen rope that splits the safeties. Both guys have proven that they are legit NFL quarterbacks who will have success when put in the right position. So let’s get into Justin Herbert vs Tua Tagoailoa.
Touchdown
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Tua: 48
Herbert: 89Herbert wins in this category. Tua has played in 11 fewer games. He averages 1.45 TDs per game. Herbert’s per game TDs sits at just over 2. Tua has thrown more touchdown this season with 21 in 10 games compared to Herbert’s 20 in 12. Herbert has shown a better ability to throw touchdowns.
Interceptions
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Tua: 20
Herbert: 32This is where Tua makes up ground on Herbert. One of Tua’s strengths is his ability to protect the football. Granted Justin has had more opportunity to give the ball away. This season both guys have been protective over throwing picks. Tua has thrown 5 to Herbert’s 6. Give the nod to Tua in this category.
Completion Percentage
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Tua: 66.8%
Herbert: 66.2%I thought Tua would be higher in this category. This season Tua has upped his game, and is completing over 68% of his passes. Herbert has been really steady in this category. He has never completed under 65.9% and never over 66.7%, which is his completion percentage this year.
Passer Rating
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Tua: 96.2
Herbert: 96.3I was stunned by this. I thought Herbert would be light years ahead of Tua because of the first 2 seasons of their careers. 2022 has really helped Tua, as he leads the league in this category at 112. Meanwhile, Herbert is posting the lowest passer rating of his career at 92.3.
Who's Been Better?
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Herbert, but it’s close. Because Herbert went into an offense with Austin Eckler, Keenan Allen, and a balanced attack, his early years will always stack up much better compared to Tua. However, if the Tua and Mike McDaniel relationship continues to blossom, this conversation could be much different this time next year.
