Chargers troll Emmanuel Acho over Justin Herbert criticism
Jul 27, 2022; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) speaks following training camp activities at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Chargers do not care what Emmanuel Acho thinks of their star quarterback, and they made that quite clear with a tweet on Wednesday.
Acho, a former NFL linebacker who now works as an analyst for FOX Sports 1, made headlines on Monday when he referred to Justin Herbert as a “social media quarterback.” What Acho meant is that Herbert has rare ability and makes throws that go viral on social media, which leads to people overlooking his bad moments. One such moment came late in Sunday’s 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, when Herbert threw an interception with 26 seconds remaining that sealed the game.
Justin Herbert is a social media Quarterback.
If Tua or Hurts had thrown a game losing interception (with 2 timeouts) we wouldn’t hear the end of it. pic.twitter.com/Phfisj1ulY
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 21, 2022
“On social media, they don’t show you interceptions. That’s not fun,” Acho said. “People aren’t gonna retweet a pick. People aren’t gonna retweet a bad sack. People aren’t gonna retweet a bad decision. That’s who Justin Herbert is, a social media quarterback.”
The Chargers issued a response on Twitter. They mocked Acho for his take and made a mashup video that included a clip of Herbert at the Pro Bowl.
SoCiAL mEdiA qUaRtErbAcK pic.twitter.com/lgCrRcJ7QL
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 23, 2022
Herbert is not having the best year, but top wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have both missed significant time due to injuries. Herbert has played well enough to keep Los Angeles in the playoff hunt, and he’s only in his third season.
Acho is right that Herbert draws a lot of praise for his physical ability. We saw an example of that when Patrick Mahomes shared his thoughts on his division rival recently. That does not mean Herbert is purely a physical talent and nothing else. He has plenty of time to prove that.