Justin Herbert's Postgame Interview Sparks Mixed Reactions
After the Los Angeles Chargers edged out the Philadelphia Eagles 22-19 in overtime on December 8, quarterback Justin Herbert was less than enthusiastic about engaging in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Laura Rutledge.
“Yeah, I’m trying to celebrate with my team,” Herbert, 27, stated as Rutledge pursued him on the field, attempting to secure a quick chat.
“No, I know, but can we just talk to you really fast?” Rutledge, 37, pressed on, trying to maintain her professionalism amidst the chaos of postgame celebrations.
Once she managed to corner him, Herbert’s responses were rapid and terse, his focus seemingly elsewhere as Rutledge posed her questions.
In the broadcast booth, lead commentator Joe Buck expressed sympathy for Rutledge’s predicament, remarking, “Alright, now he can go celebrate with his teammates. Thank you, Laura. Good job.”
The following day, Rutledge took to social media to address the awkward encounter, sharing a clip of the interview and quipping, “Rough day at the office. Let’s all have a good laugh and move on!”
Criticism of Herbert’s demeanor during the interview surfaced quickly. Under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, players are expected to participate in postgame interviews. ESPN’s Ben Baby commented on X, “Elite stuff from @LauraRutledge on chasing down Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who was as rude as I’ve ever seen a ‘winning’ quarterback for a postgame interview for the TV broadcast. Handled that like a pro.”
Ryan Phillips from Sports Illustrated echoed this sentiment, stating, “I generally like Justin Herbert, but he was a bit of a dick during that postgame interview. Dude, it’s your job to get interviewed after a win.”
However, not all reactions were negative. Some defended Herbert’s actions. Nick Kostos from WFAN remarked, “Justin Herbert not wanting to do the interview postgame last night is a non-story. He did the interview; it was fine. Laura Rutledge handled it perfectly.”
Despite the scrutiny, Herbert managed to answer Rutledge’s questions. Viewers may have expected more depth from him; however, he played through considerable pain just a week after undergoing surgery for a broken left hand.
His resilience did not go unnoticed by head coach Jim Harbaugh, who referred to him as a “superhero.” Harbaugh remarked, “It felt like we were in a movie. It’s like you get to the point where you go, ‘OK, this is getting a little unrealistic.’”
Harbaugh further expressed admiration for Herbert’s grit: “It’s inspiring. I wish I could just throw my body on the line. I wish I could take those hits for him.”
After leaving the field, Herbert downplayed his performance and pain while speaking with reporters. “There are so many guys in that locker room that are fighting through so many different injuries and things worse than what I’m going through,” he said. “So, it’s the least I can do to show up and give my best effort for them.”
This victory improved the Chargers' record to 9-4 for the season and significantly boosted their playoff chances from 61 percent to 76 percent with four games remaining, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
