LOS ANGELES — Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert broke the rookie passing touchdown record Sunday, with a nine-yard scoring pass to running back Austin Ekeler to give him 28 on the season.
The previous record was 27, set by the Cleveland Browns‘ Baker Mayfield in 2018.
Herbert’s record-setting touchdown pass came at the 8:28 mark of the second quarter and gave the Chargers a 10-0 lead over the Denver Broncos.
Herbert, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 draft, tied the record last week against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Herbert, 22, was planning to back up Tyrod Taylor as the season began, and Taylor led the Chargers to their first victory in a 16-13 win over Cincinnati. But Taylor was injured in that game and a team doctor injected him with a pain-killer just before kickoff of Game 2 vs. Kansas City and inadvertently punctured his lung and Taylor was taken to the hospital and Herbert has been the starter since that point.
Players were stunned to see Herbert step in under center that day, but as Ekeler said, “we went with it.” Herbert led the team to a 23-20 OT loss to Kansas City, throwing for 311 yards. Ironically, the Chargers’ last game of the season will be against the same Chiefs team he first faced.
He has been as effective as possible, but not getting the goal of wins. He did engineer two game-winning drives in the last two games, leading the Chargers over Atlanta and Las Vegas. The rookie out of Oregon has been praised for his poise and maturity in the huddle.