Like his Los Angeles Chargers, Derwin James is finishing out the 2024 NFL season on a heater.
But James doesn’t seem to care about his own quality work. He does, however, appear to be thrilled for his QB1, Justin Herbert, who made history in the Chargers’ 40-7 win over the New England Patriots on Saturday.
Derwin James Celebrates Justin Herbert’s NFL Record
During Herbert’s postgame interview, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche mentioned that Herbert broke Peyton Manning’s NFL record for most yards thrown in the first five years of a career.
James took tangible joy in Herbert making NFL history, smacking the quarterback on the shoulder and celebrating with him. James seemed more excited about QB’s record than Herbert himself.
.@DerwinJames was more excited for Herbie than he was for himself 😂@wyche89 | @chargers pic.twitter.com/TsbdgpajO1
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2024
Herbert broke the record with a stellar 281-yard, three-touchdown performance. Fans were loving the interaction between the Chargers’ cornerstones.
“He just hyping his boy up,” one fan said.
“That’s a real teammate,” another added.
He just hyping his boy up
— Aleco (@PendingETH) December 28, 2024
“these 2 guys better retire in those uniforms,” said one Chargers fan.
Others noticed that Herbert didn’t seem to enjoy James smacking his pads.
“Why does Herbert flinch every time Derwin hits him LOL,” one fan observed.
“He’s silently begging Derwin to stop slapping his pads,” another fan said.
He's silently begging Derwin to stop slapping his pads 😂
— JayDee (@JayDeeMcFly) December 28, 2024
It’s little surprise that James was on a high—the victory clinched the Chargers their first postseason appearance since 2022, giving James the opportunity to play in just the fourth playoff game of his six-year NFL career.
James was in such a great space that he bestowed upon Herbert a new nickname: “Humble Beast.”
He is indeed a humble guy, so Herbert might not adopt the moniker, which means that we all have a ready-made name for our fantasy football teams next year.
While Herbert deserves a ton of praise for his performance, James had a fantastic day of his own. The gritty 28-year-old safety out of Florida State racked up a pair of sacks, giving him a combined 4.5 in his last seven contests. Over that same stretch, James has averaged five tackles per game.
Derwin James Jr with his 2nd (!) sack of the day. He also recovered a fumble. 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/a8DYymL3o8
— TJ Salomone (@TJSalomone) December 28, 2024
On the season, James has racked up 90 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, 8.5 stuffs, six passes defended, one interception, and one fumble recovered.
Herbert has thrown for 3,524 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just three interceptions while also rushing for 264 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
It is admittedly hard to know what to make of this Chargers team. Los Angeles is a well-coached team with a terrific defense, but they have played one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.
Fun fact: the Chargers are just 2-4 against teams above .500 (with both wins coming against the Denver Broncos in Weeks 6 and 16).
Fortunately for Los Angeles, they punched their ticket to the playoffs, so they will have a chance to show what they are made of on football’s biggest stage.