News · Analysis · Community · Forever SkolA speculative link between the Minnesota Vikings and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is circulating in NFL media, though the idea remains far from grounded in anything concrete, according to a report from Vikings Territory.
The rumor's foundation rests on the Chargers' rough start to the 2026 season. Los Angeles sits at 0-5, with an offense under Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel averaging 16.8 points per game, ranked 30th in the league, per the report. Herbert has completed 59.4% of his passes this season for 937 yards, 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Vikings Territory notes that respected NFL analysts have at least raised the general possibility of a Herbert trade. ESPN's Benjamin Solak publicly asked what teams would offer for Herbert, citing his age, 28, and the four years remaining on his contract, worth a reported $24 million, $36 million, $52 million and $50.5 million in escalating annual salaries. Analyst Sam Monson suggested such a scenario would only become "really interesting" if the Chargers finish with a catastrophic record and land a top-five pick in a quarterback-rich draft. Neither analyst specifically linked the Vikings to a potential deal, the report notes.
A separate proposal from FanSided's Christopher Kline floated a trade in which Minnesota would send Carson Wentz, a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Herbert and a fifth-round pick, reasoning that the Vikings' top-ranked defense is paired with a struggling offense.
Vikings Territory's own assessment pushes back on that framework, arguing the proposed package falls well short of what Herbert's draft pedigree and physical tools would command. Selected sixth overall in 2020, the 6-foot-6, 236-pound Herbert completed 66.4% of his passes for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2025. His career-best season, in 2021, produced more than 5,000 passing yards and 38 touchdowns.
The report concludes that any realistic trade would require multiple first-round picks, and that the Chargers are far more likely to make coaching changes than to trade away a quarterback still considered to be in his prime.
Source: Vikings Territory