Darius Butler Exposes Justin Herbert’s Shocking 2026 Interception Record

Will Anderson Jr.: Justin Herbert is playing out of his mind.

That is what the Houston Texans defensive end told reporters on Wednesday, ahead of his team’s matchup with the winless Los Angeles Chargers.

“He’s still a really great quarterback in this league,” Anderson said, via transcript from the team.

“You talk about a big guy that has a big arm that can run around, that can throw the ball deep, makes a lot of plays with his legs. He’s still a very respectable player in this league and we have a ton of respect for them.”

Anderson’s assessment stands in stark contrast to the numbers.

Justin Herbert has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,398 yards with five touchdowns and a league-leading 10 interceptions in 2026.

The Chargers are 0-7.

Herbert has thrown at least one interception in every game this season.

His most recent pick came in a 24-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, when cornerback Trent McDuffie undercut a throw Herbert never saw coming.

That play became the centerpiece of a pointed critique on Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Former NFL cornerback Darius Butler broke down the interception in detail.

“You see split safety coverage, it’s still a game,” Butler said.

“It’s an eight-point game in the third quarter, first down. You see split safety coverage, you automatically know it’s a potential that the corners can come up and play these flats. And that’s what Trent McDuffie does.”

Butler explained how McDuffie read Herbert’s movements and baited the throw.

“So McDuffie is just reading the quarterback,” Butler said.

“You see Herbert, he wants to throw this ball around his back foot. Not there. He never sees McDuffie.”

Butler then raised a deeper concern about the Chargers quarterback.

He suggested Herbert’s struggles may stem from a mismatch between his natural playing style and the offensive system installed by first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

Butler compared Herbert’s execution to that of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who thrived in a similar scheme under McDaniel’s predecessor.

“We saw Tua do this when he was playing good football a million times,” Butler said.

“Get to that back foot, do a play action, and then hit a guy between the numbers and the hash marks. And that’s what you want to be. That’s kind of how this offense is built. I just don’t think that’s the type of quarterback Justin Herbert is.”

Herbert has now thrown more interceptions (10) than games he has played (7) in 2026.

The stat is jarring for a quarterback who entered the league as the No. 6 overall pick in 2020 and signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension in 2023.

Herbert’s struggles have drawn attention from opponents beyond the stat sheet.

After the Rams game, defensive back Quentin Lake appeared on the “St. Brown Podcast” and took a brutal shot at the Chargers quarterback.

“I mean, he was throwing deli meat out there. He’s seeing ghosts, I’m not gonna lie,” Lake said, trying to hold back his laughter.

Lake intercepted Herbert once in that game.

Herbert was asked about Lake’s comments during his Wednesday press conference.

“I haven’t looked into it, haven’t heard anything about it, so I can’t really make a comment about it,” Herbert told reporters, via Chargers Wire.

“We’re really just focused on what’s going on in the building, playing football and doing what we can and doing our best to, you know, go put our best effort out on Sunday. And that’s all that really matters. Anything outside of that is out of our control.”

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh also addressed Lake’s remarks.

“As far as anybody’s opinion, I don’t see that,” Harbaugh said.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Not what I see.”

Harbaugh added: “Pass game, I thought he played – did his job exceptionally well. You know, two throws he would have liked to have back.”

Despite Harbaugh’s defense, the numbers are difficult to ignore.

Herbert’s 10 interceptions lead the NFL through seven weeks.

No other quarterback has more than eight.

Herbert’s five touchdown passes rank near the bottom among starters.

The Chargers have not scored a touchdown in two of their seven games, including the Rams loss.

The team is 0-7 after a bye week, a historically bad start for a franchise that entered 2026 with playoff expectations.

McDaniel was hired in the offseason to modernize the offense after former coordinator Kellen Moore left for the same role in Philadelphia.

The system relies on timing, rhythm and quick decision-making — elements that have not come naturally to Herbert this season.