Chargers Hall Of Fame Locks Revealed: Where Does Justin Herbert Stand?

The Los Angeles Chargers have suffered a brutal start to training camp and the preseason. Najee Harris and Rashawn Slater are just two of the names on the roster who have suffered a forced detour due to injuries.

However, the team still has plenty of Hall of Fame-level talent. While Justin Herbert has been impressive early in his career, he still has a long way to go to make himself a lock.

If his career were to end tomorrow, it would be similar to declaring Andrew Luck a Hall of Famer. Luck, of course, had some monumental seasons, but also found himself in some losing or barely .500 situations. Luck isn’t in the Hall of Fame, but most would agree he was on a trajectory to get into Canton.

Herbert is on a similar trajectory, but he hasn’t crossed that threshold yet. (He still finds himself chasing Rivers, who is also waiting to see if he was good enough to reach Canton.)

That said, here’s a look at three Chargers good enough to reach the Hall of Fame.

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

NFL: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers
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Allen is a clear-cut candidate to make the Hall of Fame. The exact year that happens is anyone’s guess. However, the long-time Chargers receiver has turned in a resume that makes it a no-brainer.

Allen has earned 11,274 yards in his career, putting him with the likes of Calvin Johnson (11,619) and Michael Irvin (11,904).

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Irvin earned 65 touchdowns in his career, while Allen has earned 66 touchdowns. Allen is squarely in that class of athletes and has done enough to earn a bust in Canton.

Everything from here on out is merely speeding up the wait after retirement, after the required five-year waiting period.

Khalil Mack, LB

NFL: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
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Khalil Mack is also a name clearly across the required threshold. While much of his career has been spent away from the Chargers, a large enough chunk of his production has been with the team that, without that, he might not be a shoo-in for Canton.

Mack has earned 107.5 sacks in his career, including 31 (nearly a third) with the Chargers.

Mack’s sack total eclipses Hall of Famer pass rushers Steve McMichael (95.0 sacks), Bryant Young (89.5 sacks), and Charles Haley (100.5 sacks), among many others.

Put simply, few players in NFL history have put quarterbacks on the ground as fast or as often as the Chargers’ pass rusher. If Mack retired tomorrow, he would likely be a first-ballot Hall of Fame contender.

Derwin James, S

NFL: Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders
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Derwin James might be the most controversial pick on this list, but the criteria is whether they’ve done enough to make it to the Hall of Fame, not when.

As it stands, James is not a first, second, or even third-year Hall of Famer. James could end up waiting many years to hear his name called. However, he’s done enough to earn a slot one day if he were to hang it up in 2025.

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James’ 17 career sacks eclipse Steve Atwater (five sacks), Troy Polamalu (12.0 sacks), and Ed Reed (six sacks). His 590 tackles are also close enough to Ed Reed’s 646 tackles to get the conversation started on that metric.

James’ argument would be that he sacked quarterbacks unlike almost any other safety in the Hall of Fame, which gives his case real legs to stand on.

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