Justin Herbert might be taking another leap.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ quarterback has firmly been one of the league’s best pure passers for years now — more specifically, ever since a 2020 rookie season in which he threw for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns — so his stardom isn’t much of a surprise.
However, just how well Herbert has performed to begin 2025 could soon put him in the true upper echelon of quarterbacks. Following a 20-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on “Monday Night Football”, Los Angeles looks like the AFC West favorites at 2-0 with his efficient passing numbers, an increased rushing presence and a willingness to distribute the ball to various receivers.
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Could Herbert be building an early MVP case, crashing the exclusive club accompanied by Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes in recent years?
Here’s a look at Herbert’s excellent start to the 2025 season, including Week 2 against the Raiders.
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Justin Herbert stats, highlights vs. Raiders
Herbert turned in his second terrific performance in two weeks against Las Vegas. Even with the Chargers’ running back duo of Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris registering just 52 combined rushing yards, Herbert took command of the offense — especially in the first half.
Los Angeles took a 17-6 lead into halftime thanks to Herbert’s two touchdown passes. The first went to Keenan Allen in the back-right corner of the end zone, as the longtime Charger toe-tapped to keep his vintage start to the year going.
Justin Herbert on the move and finds Keenan Allen for a @Chargers TD
LACvsLV on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/KEuNq8w8ct— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2025
Herbert’s deepest throw of the evening then came in the winding moments of the second quarter. He had Quentin Johnston open down the field and didn’t miss, resulting in a 60-yard score that proved more than enough to bury Las Vegas.
HERBERT TO JOHNSTON 60-YARD TD!
LACvsLV on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/MDmDdqjKn6— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2025
Herbert finished the night with his second-straight game to open 2025 with multiple touchdown passes, no turnovers and a completion percentage over 70 percent. He also led L.A. in rushing on an otherwise lackluster night for Jim Harbaugh’s ground game, scrambling for 31 yards.
Here’s Herbert’s full stat line from the Week 2 win:
- Completions-Attempts: 19-27 (70.1%)
- Passing Yards: 242
- AVG: 9.0
- Passing TDs: 2
- INTs: 0
- Rating: 122.8
- Carries: 9
- Rushing Yards: 31
- Rushing TDs: 0
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Justin Herbert 2025 stats
Herbert has yet to turn the ball over through two games, and he’s been fairly efficient through the air while mixing in a newfound rushing ability. His leap has come alongside a resurgent wide receiver duo in Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston, who both found the end zone in Weeks 1 and 2.
Here’s a look at Herbert’s numbers through the Chargers’ 2-0 start:
| Completions-Attempts | Completion Percentage | Passing Yards | AVG | Passing TDs | INTs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs |
| 44-61 | 72.1% | 560 | 9.2 | 5 | 0 | 63 | 0 |
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Could Justin Herbert win MVP?
Between a Week 1 victory in Brazil over the defending AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, then Monday’s second divisional win over the Raiders, Herbert has the Chargers increasingly looking like a threat in the AFC.
He’ll have more work to do over a long season, and Los Angeles still isn’t quite in Ravens/Bills territory in the conference’s hierarchy, but it’s hard to ignore Herbert’s (very) early MVP case. The last Chargers MVP was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.
The NFL’s MVP award is very much a quarterback-based award by now, and it often goes to a passer whose team excelled just as much as he did individually. Through two weeks, Herbert would check those boxes — his case will only grow if Los Angeles can seriously contend for the AFC West crown and the Chargers’ offense remains elite.
As of Sept. 16, DraftKings lists Herbert at +900 to win MVP, which trails only Jackson (+300), Allen (+300) and Jordan Love (+750).
Herbert still has a lot to prove over the course of 15 more games versus just two. But he’s off to arguably the best start of his six-year NFL career, and that’s saying something for a quarterback who threw just three interceptions over 17 games in 2024 and owns three seasons with 4,000-plus passing yards.
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When was the last non-Chiefs team to win the AFC West?
The Chargers have the early upper-hand in the 2025 AFC West race. If they can pull off a run for first place, it would be a long time coming.
The last time a team other than the Chiefs won the AFC West was 2015, when the Denver Broncos went 12-4 and eventually won the Super Bowl. The last time the Chargers won the division was 2009, when they were still based out of San Diego.
