Justin Herbert now has the most passing yards by any NFL quarterback through their first five years of their careers, surpassing Peyton Manning on Saturday afternoon.

Herbert passed Manning’s mark of 20,618 yards, doing so in the first half of the Los Angeles Chargers‘ penultimate game of the season against the New England Patriots, as Herbert helped them to a 20-7 lead at the half. The Chargers went on to dominate against their AFC opponents, winning by 40-7 with the quarterback throwing for three touchdowns and 281 yards with no interceptions.

The statistic might be a surprising one for fans to hear, with Herbert not putting up big numbers over the last few years while being in a number of conservative offenses – with their current playbook under Greg Roman seemingly being very run heavy.

But Herbert has been able to be efficient once again this season while throwing 21 touchdowns to just three interceptions on the way to breaking the record through his first five years.

When asked about his first thoughts in breaking the record, Herbert was quick to praise his teammates, stating: “I think it says so much about the guys we’ve had catching those passes. We’ve had a great offensive line letting me get the ball off, and guys like this getting me the ball back.”

The Chargers have had difficulties at both offensive line and wide receiver over the last few years, having lost both of their starting receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this past offseason. But Herbert has been able to get the best out of rookie Ladd McConkey, with Harbaugh helping the team have an impressive draft class in his first year as head coach.

Harbaugh and Herbert have won double figures in their first year together ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

The Chargers’ win takes them to a 10-6 record and assuring themselves of a wildcard spot in the playoffs. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have clinched the AFC West for the ninth straight year and have locked up the number one seed in the AFC with a game to spare.

Harbaugh will lead the Chargers to an impressive winning season in his first year back in the NFL for a decade, with the organization looking to be heading in the right direction with the talented quarterback set to enter his prime years.