Anthony Lynn: Tyrod Taylor’s starting it off, but it’s a competition

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Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said early this month that Tyrod Taylor is in the driver’s seat when it comes to the starting quarterback job, but that nothing was finalized on the depth chart.

The depth chart changed significantly last Thursday. That’s when the Chargers made former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert the sixth overall pick of this year’s draft and, assuming all works out as hoped, their quarterback of the future.

It could also open the door to Herbert becoming the quarterback of the present. Lynn told Albert Breer of SI.com that Taylor remains in the No. 1 spot, but that he’s not ruling out anything once the players got on the field.

“We’re going into this thing: Day 1, Tyrod Taylor’s going to be starting it off,” Lynn said. “He’s earned that right. His teammates respect the hell out of him, he’s a leader on this football team. Our young quarterback’s gonna learn a lot from Tyrod Taylor. Tyrod Taylor’s one of the most respected players on our team, and he doesn’t say a whole lot either. . . . [But] it’s a competition, bro. There’s a competition at every position, not just this one. I can’t just say Tyrod’s gonna be the starting quarterback for the whole year if this young man goes in there and wins the job.”

The circumstances of this offseason may work against Herbert’s chances of pushing Taylor aside at any point in the near future, but the Chargers didn’t use such a high pick on a player they think is incapable of handling the job.