COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Los Angeles Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert might only be 22 years old, but he's got more experience than just about any 22-year-old who didn't have an offseason camp to prepare for a first NFL season where he'd unwittingly become the starter.
First off, Herbert hadn't planned on playing right away. He was never told he'd be the starter, not getting the lion's share of training camp work as a result. Veteran Tyrod Taylor was slated to be that guy. Second, the coronavirus pandemic took away the on-field, offseason program and eliminated preseason games, depriving the University of Oregon product valuable reps.