Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is eligible to receive a new contract. It’s widely believed he’ll eventually get one. But it hasn’t happened yet.
On Monday, coach Brandon Staley said negotiations are “ongoing,” via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. Staley made the remark before teeing off at the team’s charity golf outing.
Herbert didn’t golf because of offseason shoulder surgery. He also didn’t have much to say about his contract, beyond generally expressing “faith” in the team.
“They’ve done such a great job of taking care of us and my message really hasn’t changed,” Herbert said, via Thiry. “It’s been an honor to be a part of this team. It’s great to come to events like this and whatever happens, happens and it’s out of my control at this point.”
Is it, though? He’s the one who ultimately will decide whether to accept the best offer the team makes, and whether to hold out if the team won’t give him what he wants.
It’s not some random process, the bouncing of a rubber ball down a flight of uneven stairs. Herbert has options. He has leverage. He can refuse to play without a new deal. He can ask for a trade, if he wants. He can tell the team he’ll never sign a long-term deal, playing out his rookie deal and going year to year under the franchise tag until he Kirk Cousinses his way out of town.
Hebert needs to realize he has power. He needs to realize he can use it. Until he does, he’ll never get the best possible deal that he can.
