Are Justin Herbert and Patrick Herbert brothers? Their Oregon and Chargers connection explained | NFL News
Patrick Herbert is about to experience an NFL moment that has been years in the making. The Los Angeles Chargers elevated the tight end from their practice squad Saturday ahead of their Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, putting him in line to make his NFL regular-season debut alongside his older brother, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. For the Herbert family, however, this is not the first time the brothers have shared a football field.Justin and Patrick were previously teammates at the University of Oregon in 2019. Seven years later, they are reunited as NFL teammates, only this time with Justin throwing passes in the NFL and Patrick trying to make his mark at tight end.
Meet Patrick Herbert, Justin Herbert’s younger brother who is making his NFL debut
Patrick Herbert is a 25-year-old tight end who played college football at Oregon, following in the footsteps of his older brother. Three years younger than Justin, Patrick spent six seasons with the Ducks from 2019 through 2024. He finished his Oregon career with 31 receptions for 388 yards and four touchdowns, including six starts during his senior season in 2024.Unlike his brother, Patrick did not enter the NFL as a highly touted first-round selection. He went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. After failing to make Jacksonville’s initial 53-man roster, Herbert spent the 2025 season on the Jaguars’ practice squad. That made his path to an NFL game considerably different from Justin’s.
Patrick Herbert followed Justin to Oregon
Patrick arrived at Oregon in 2019 while Justin was entering his senior season as the Ducks’ starting quarterback. Justin helped lead Oregon to a 12-2 record that season and a Rose Bowl victory, while Patrick appeared in two games as a true freshman. Despite being teammates, the brothers never connected for a pass.Patrick did not record a reception during that 2019 season, meaning Justin never had the opportunity to throw his younger brother a game pass. Their reunion with the Chargers therefore creates a chance to finish something they started at Oregon but this time on an NFL field.
How did Patrick Herbert end up with the Chargers?
After spending the 2025 season with Jacksonville, Patrick joined the Chargers’ practice squad in 2026, reuniting with Justin. The move gave the brothers another opportunity to be teammates after their brief overlap at Oregon. Reuters reported that Patrick signed with Los Angeles in September after spending the previous season with the Jaguars.Patrick’s promotion to the active roster came because the Chargers were dealing with injuries at tight end. With David Njoku and Charlie Kolar unavailable, Patrick was elevated to provide additional depth for the matchup against Buffalo. CBS Sports reported that Herbert was expected to serve as the team’s No. 3 tight end behind Oronde Gadsden and Hayden Rucci.
Patrick Herbert and Justin Herbert could make NFL history
The most intriguing part of Sunday’s reunion is obvious: Could Justin Herbert throw a pass to Patrick Herbert? The brothers never connected at Oregon, so a completion between them would be a first for their professional careers.And a touchdown would carry even more historical significance. NBC Sports reported that the last brother-to-brother touchdown pass in an NFL game came in 1929, when Chicago Bears quarterback Red Grange threw a touchdown pass to his brother Gardie Grange. The only other known brother-to-brother touchdown pass came in 1924.That means a Justin-to-Patrick touchdown would be an extremely rare NFL occurrence. For Patrick, though, simply getting onto an NFL field with his brother represents the culmination of a very different journey.
