Chargers.com
The Chargers quarterback will make his second career playoff start Saturday as the Bolts play the Texans in the Wild Card Round.
Kickoff from NRG Stadium is at 1:30 p.m. (PT).
Herbert led the Bolts to an 11-6 record in 2024 as the Chargers claimed the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.
And it’s safe to say he’s excited for postseason football.
“I think it’s always an exciting opportunity to play in the playoffs,” Herbert said. “That’s all you want, you want a ticket to the dance. The guys have been excited about that.
“We knew we punched our card a couple of weeks ago, but it’s a great opportunity,” Herbert added. “It’s all the hard work we put in through OTAs and through camp. We’re now in this position, so we have to make the most of it and take advantage of it.”
Herbert is entering the 2024 playoffs on a heater as he led the Chargers to three straight wins to close out the regular season.
As a result, the Chargers offense has exploded for an NFL-best 108 points scored in the past three games.
The 26-year-old saved his best for last in 2024 as he produced an eye-popping stat line of 346 passing yards with two scores and no interceptions in Las Vegas. Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh raved about Herbert’s performance Sunday afternoon.
“I’m not going to say ‘unbelievable’, because I believe it and because I see it every day,” Harbaugh said. “But there were throws that he was making that were 15-yard throws, 30-yard throws, 45-yard throws, that were handoffs.
“They were right where you would put it if you were handing the ball off on a running play,” Harbaugh said. “Just an incredible game by him.”
Herbert had six games of at least 280 passing yards in the regular season, including each of the final three games of the year.
He finished the 2024 season with 3,870 passing yards with 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Among quarterbacks with at least 15 touchdown passes in a season, Herbert’s 23:3 TD-INT ratio (7.67) ranks eighth all-time in NFL history.
Now Herbert, who is 0-1 in his playoff career, will turn his attention to the playoffs as the Bolts look to make a deep postseason run.
“I think adversity is a great teacher. We’ve seen our fair share of it, having gone through the tight games, the close ones, the tough losses,” Herbert said. “We’re better because of it. We’ve watched the film, we’ve done everything we can to correct those mistakes.”
