Wednesday afternoon, Los Angeles Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert met with the media to discuss an upcoming game against the New York Jets. However, his ability to lead the California team to a victory became less of a concern due to a noticeable change. Herbert had cut off his flowing locks, resulting in a very short and surprising hairstyle.
Moments after Herbert stepped to the podium, a screenshot of his new haircut surfaced on Twitter. This image circulated and prompted numerous responses. Several joked about Herbert’s appearance and tried to figure out what TV show or movie he drew inspiration from. Others said that the quarterback is actually preparing for a career in the Army and that he would soon head to basic training. The comments continued throughout the afternoon and took over several conversations.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Big favorite tonight at the podracing track on Tatooine. https://t.co/E23POwl5B8
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) November 18, 2020
The craziest part about Justin Herbert being the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year is that he’s only 14 years old. https://t.co/ZsUIsfK6oS
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 18, 2020
Is Herbert a Sith in training? Will he bring balance to the force and murder several children with a light saber? There were some people on Twitter that expressed this concern after seeing the quarterback’s haircut. Others just said that he shouldn’t technically be an NFL star due to being “too young” to secure a driver’s license.
Breaking: the NFL has added to the COVID-19 restrictions “employees are prohibited from holding sharp objects near players” but it appears the memo was only sent to the Chargers
— Scott (@MeScottieB) November 18, 2020
Never believe anyone who says “he was good with the clippers.” Not Michael Olowokandi, not the S&C coach, no one.
— Jeff Wright (@jefelee) November 18, 2020
Herbert became the starter after a team doctor accidentally punctured quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s lung while giving him an injection. This incident prompted jokes among football fans and did so once again on Wednesday. Twitter comedians repeatedly mentioned Taylor while joking about Herbert’s hair, especially after learning that the Strength and Conditioning coach was the one that provided the haircut.
Justin Herbert with a haircut looks like the kid who is already on the 5th prestige of the new COD after 2 days pic.twitter.com/wydRg1vBCq
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 18, 2020
Unfortunately Justin Herbert is OUT this week vs the Jets because he got a C+ on his AP Bio test and got grounded. https://t.co/YPEhgkR7IC
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) November 18, 2020
The jokes about Herbert being young continued as more and more people saw the new haircut. Some compared him to 13 year olds that constantly play the newest Call of Duty nonstop each passing year. Others joked about the quarterback receiving punishment from his parents based on various transgressions.
Samson https://t.co/SnM5Mhr8x1
— Arif Hasan, hates turkey ❌🦃 (@ArifHasanNFL) November 18, 2020
Witness protection Justin Herbe….I mean, Dustin Ferbert.
— IslandTime (@SDislandtime) November 18, 2020
Did Herbert make a critical error by cutting his hair before a game against the New York Jets? There were some people that expressed this opinion. They compared him to Samson, a Biblical figure whose strength was tied to the length of his hair. Samson lost his strength and was captured by the Philistines after a haircut. However, he regained his power after his hair grew back. Twitter users joked that something similar would happen to Herbert.
Justin Herbert walking into Arrowhead Week 17 pic.twitter.com/JwtDdWXQtE
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) November 18, 2020
Who did this to Justin Herbert. Justin Herbert looks like the bully older brother in every 90’s sitcom. pic.twitter.com/e8Fez57rva
— Audrey Ratajack (@Audrey_Ratajack) November 18, 2020
Twitter users certainly had split opinions about Herbert’s new haircut on Wednesday afternoon. Some criticized his decision while others said that “it wasn’t bad.” One person, however, compared the Chargers’ QB to a Norse god. They showed this with a video of a freshly shorn Thor walking into the arena for a fight against the Incredible Hulk.
Justin Herbert: Give me the Forrest Gump
— Anthony Rodriguez (@AnthonyRod33) November 18, 2020
Barber: Say no more fam
Justin Herbert: pic.twitter.com/CqORiZRcpY
Is that Justin Herbert or Justin Bieber? pic.twitter.com/QVBIeJleq5
— TarikCohenFan #ExtendAllenRobinson (@eli10475695) November 18, 2020
Did Herbert have some specific person in mind when he sat down for his haircut? The debates about this topic continued on Wednesday. Some said that he wanted to look like a character from the original Toy Story. Others said that the rookie wanted to resemble a young Tom Hanks. No one had the definitive answer on Wednesday, but there was no shortage of theories.
More evidence that NFL is king and other sports aren’t even close:
— Jeremy Brown (@JBrown_YL) November 18, 2020
Justin Herbert’s haircut is getting more attention than the NBA Draft 5 hours before the first pick is in pic.twitter.com/c07SL2dumB
Every sub-.500 fantasy team has to change its name to “Justin Herbert’s Haircut” right now #FantasyFootball https://t.co/KeqZQ6iwkL
— Festivus Miracle Squad (@FestivusSquad) November 18, 2020
Whether the fans loved or hated Herbert’s hair, they did find the topic fascinating. Many pointed out that the simple photo was taking over Twitter with surprising ease considering other sports topics that should be trending. For example, the 2020 NBA Draft takes place on Wednesday night, but many expressed the opinion that Herbert’s hair was more important.
