UPDATE: The deal is done. Justin Herbert becomes the second Chargers rookie to sign his contract.
PREVIOUSLY:
With young and old players returning to their facilities in droves as of late, many of the 2020 first-round picks have finally been getting their rookie deals signed, sealed and delivered prior to training camps starting next week.
The Chargers were one of the few teams this year with multiple first-round picks and it looks like they’re getting their first one inked soon with quarterback Justin Herbert expected to receive a fully-guaranteed contract worth $26.6 million.
The #Chargers and first-round QB Justin Herbert are working to finalize his four-year fully guaranteed roughly $26.6M contract, source said, one that comes with a fifth-year option. The expectation is that it’ll be done soon.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2020
The sixth-overall pick is not expected to start immediately for the Chargers as Anthony Lynn has already stated that 2019 backup and veteran Tyrod Taylor will get the nod to begin the season. It is still up in the air whether or not Lynn will treat 2020 as a redshirt year for Herbert in a similar fashion to how the Chiefs brought along Patrick Mahomes in 2017.
Herbert graduated the University of Oregon with 10,541 career passing yards and 95 touchdowns to just 23 interceptions. He led the Ducks to victory in the 2020 Rose Bowl over the Wisconsin Badgers and earned MVP honors behind his three rushing-touchdown performance.