Chargers’ Justin Herbert, Bengals’ Joe Burrow were viewed differently before becoming NFL stars

CINCINNATI — There was a constituent successful clip erstwhile Justin Herbert was viewed arsenic the statement No. 1 wide prime and it didn’t substance whether helium enlisted successful the NFL draught successful 2019 oregon 2020.

Joe Burrow changed that certainty erstwhile delivered arguably the top play ever for a assemblage backmost connected his mode to winning a nationalist title and the Heisman Trophy arsenic a redshirt elder astatine LSU.

But Burrow is inactive amazed astir the Cincinnati Bengals making him the No. 1 wide prime successful 2020 due to the fact that helium remembers however powerfully NFL scouts and draught experts felt astir Herbert, the 6-foot-6 imaginable from Oregon with each the carnal traits.

Burrow was a backup backmost astatine Ohio State for 3 seasons – and a teammate of Chargers borderline rusher Joey Bosa – earlier transferring to LSU.

Herbert ended up being the 3rd backmost taken successful past year’s draught (sixth overall) down Burrow and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, who was selected 5th wide by the Miami Dolphins.

“He was ever the guy, truly the full time,” Burrow said of Herbert this week. “For his full 3 years, helium was going to beryllium the adjacent No. 1 pick. So I knew him the full clip helium was playing. I ne'er thought I would beryllium the No. 1 pick. I was immoderate chartless backup feline for 3 years.”

Burrow and Herbert had their narratives flipped arsenic draught prospects, but they’re viewed successful the aforesaid airy arsenic professionals. They volition conflict for the archetypal clip Sunday erstwhile the Chargers (6-5) conscionable the Bengals (7-4) astatine Paul Brown Stadium.

Herbert was connected the sideline erstwhile Burrow scored his archetypal vocation NFL touchdown, a 23-yard tally up the mediate against the Chargers successful the 2020 play opener successful Cincinnati. But Herbert was the backup backmost to Tyrod Taylor, who guided the Chargers to a 16-13 triumph that day.

Herbert had to hold to change his communicative aft galore scouts and draught pundits changed their tune connected him pursuing a rocky elder play astatine Oregon. Herbert went from a sought-after imaginable with a rocket limb to a backmost with galore reddish flags, including the cognition that helium was not charismatic capable to pb an NFL locker room.

Burrow’s carnal accomplishment acceptable wasn’t connected par with Herbert’s, but galore noticed the swagger and poise helium displayed astatine LSU and helium enjoyed a meteoric emergence up the draught boards. But the Chargers didn’t hide astir Herbert’s carnal gifts and did their homework connected his reserved personality.

The Chargers planned to instrumentality a dilatory attack with Herbert’s development, but helium was thrust into a starting relation a week aft they near Cincinnati, and it didn’t instrumentality Herbert agelong to punctual the scouts and draught pundits wherefore they erstwhile penciled him successful arsenic the No. 1 wide pick.

“Any clip that you’re capable to ticker connected the sideline, determination are things that you tin larn and prime up,” Herbert said of being the backup for that archetypal game. “I would person loved to person watched much games and learned more, but that was the concern that it was. I got to prime up arsenic overmuch arsenic I could from Tyrod and those guys successful the backmost room. It was a batch of learning, for sure.”

Former Chargers manager Anthony Lynn took plentifulness of vigor for erstwhile saying Herbert is the “backup for a reason,” but the dilatory attack mightiness person paid disconnected due to the fact that galore were baffled by however good Herbert played aft making his starting debut with 5 minutes of announcement against the Kansas City Chiefs. A squad doc accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung earlier kickoff and that paved the mode for Herbert’s memorable rookie season.

Many draught experts person said Herbert was a much-improved subordinate successful his rookie play than what helium displayed arsenic a elder astatine Oregon. Or was that an excuse for overvaluing however vocal an NFL backmost needs to be?

Herbert, without saying it, proved helium belonged connected the aforesaid level arsenic Burrow, and the 2 were neck-and-neck for Offensive Rookie of the Year earlier Burrow tore his ACL successful Week 11. Herbert went connected to hoist the grant and broke astir each rookie grounds for a quarterback.

Burrow recovered from his devastating wounded and has surpassed the precocious barroom helium acceptable arsenic a rookie.

“We haven’t spoken since past (the NFL Scouting Combine), but Joe was a large feline to meet,” Herbert said. “I’m ever rooting for him. The occurrence that he’s had implicit the past mates of years has been awesome. I’m ever cheering for the champion for him.”

They didn’t conflict successful Week 1 past play and determination was nary photograph decorativeness for rookie of the year, but the 2 volition yet conscionable connected the tract Sunday.

Being viewed the aforesaid way, however, is seldom capable for the shot public, which ever wants idiosyncratic to beryllium the better quarterback. Herbert mightiness person a flimsy pb successful that statement based connected statistic and his carnal skills.

Burrow has completed 69.3% of his passes for 2,835 yards, 22 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer standing of 101.6 this season. Herbert has completed 66% for 3,230 yards, 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a passer standing of 96.5 this season.

The Bengals apt wouldn’t alteration their draught prime from Burrow to Herbert if they had to bash it again. Burrow has the Bengals well-positioned to scope the postseason for the archetypal clip since 2015.

Burrow has changed the civilization successful Cincinnati and has the discourtesy humming with rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and moving backmost Joe Mixon.

The Chargers are besides contented with their quiescent prima backmost and are astir apt thankful each time that 5 teams passed connected Herbert successful past year’s draft.

There volition ever beryllium a statement astir who is the amended quarterback, but the Chargers and Bengals apt don’t attraction astir that treatment and would simply similar a triumph this weekend.