While NFL players want to make history, they don’t want to make bad history, but that’s exactly what Justin Herbert and Sam Darnold did on Sunday.
The starting quarterbacks for the Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks combined to make NFL history in Sunday’s contest when they each threw an early interception. While Herbert has struggled to begin the season, Darnold is in just his second game after recovering from an injury.
Los Angeles specifically needed to open the game strong considering the team entered the contest 0-3, so Herbert’s early turnover put his team in a rough spot. Here’s how Herbert and Darnold made infamous NFL history.
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Justin Herbert and Sam Darnold make NFL history
The Chargers got the ball out of the gate on the road in Seattle, but Justin Herbert’s rough start to the season continued immediately. Herbert threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage as Drake Thomas produced the takeaway for the Seahawks.
Drake Thomas with an INT ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME 🙌 @LACvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/Y3MypCj8aS
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
However, the Seahawks drive did not last long. On Seattle’s first play from scrimmage, Sam Darnold gave the ball back by throwing an interception to Tuli Tuipulotu near the sideline, marking the second turnover in the game in just the first 22 seconds.
THE CHARGERS DEFENSE GET IT RIGHT BACK!! ⚡️ @LACvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/d17s4Ng7cL
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
In the process, Herbert and Darnold combined to make NFL history. This marked the first time in the 100-year NFL history that both starting quarterbacks threw an interception on their team’s first play of the game.
Per my data, we did indeed just witness a moment of NFL history. It’s the first time in the 100+ year history of the league that both starting quarterbacks thew an interception on the first two plays of a game. https://t.co/idPQhUdL5b
— QBgami (@QBgami) October 4, 2026
That marked Herbert’s fifth interception on the season, while Darnold has three in the last two weeks, so these two signal-callers have been pretty prone to turnovers in the first four weeks of the season. Therefore, it’s not a total surprise that Herbert and Darnold were the two quarterbacks to make this dubious history.
