The Chargers are 0-3, and the early-season mess around Justin Herbert has started to draw the kind of attention that usually comes when a team’s plan is cracking in real time.
Jim Harbaugh brought in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel this offseason with the hope that Herbert would make a major jump. Instead, the offense has sputtered, Harbaugh has already said Herbert needs to "be better," and Wednesday morning brought a blunt assessment from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano about how little has clicked.
Fowler pointed to the way the offense has come together - or, more accurately, hasn’t.
"The jumbled offense under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel hasn't helped," Fowler wrote about the Chargers and Herbert. "And I'm not exactly sure where they turn next. ...
Herbert has excelled as a true pocket passer, whereas McDaniel thrived having Tua Tagovailoa throw with anticipation to spots. Either Herbert struggles to do both, or McDaniel isn't putting him in a position to show that he can.
I still think Herbert has good football in him, but that's harder to sell by the week."
That skepticism is already showing up elsewhere. Some members of the NFL community have labeled Herbert "overrated" after his first three games, and the numbers haven’t done him any favors.
ESPN stats had him 29th out of 30 qualified passers entering Wednesday, with a 27.4 adjusted QBR. Through three weeks, he has thrown four interceptions and three touchdown passes.
Graziano’s read was even more pointed, describing the fit between quarterback and scheme as a real problem.
"Talk about disconnect between player and scheme," Graziano added. "Everything looks 'difficult and exhausting' for Herbert, using the words of one evaluator I spoke to last week.
There was so much talk in the offseason about how Herbert and his immense natural talent would flourish under McDaniel, but it's clearly not clicking. A fresh wave of offensive line injuries that happened as the season was getting underway certainly didn't help.
But the run game can't get going, the receivers haven't taken the jumps we were promised, and Herbert has looked confused and overwhelmed by whatever it is he's being asked to do out there. A lot of people have theories on what the Chargers need to do in terms of simplifying things so they can just start having success to build on.
But there's also concern that the personnel doesn't fit what the offense is built to do, which might be difficult to overcome."
There’s still no real indication the Chargers are anywhere close to moving on from Herbert. He signed a five-year, $262.5M extension in the summer of 2023, and a quarterback with that kind of contract would have no shortage of interest if he ever became available.
McDaniel, though, is in a far shakier spot. If Los Angeles drops to 0-4 on Oct. 4, the noise around Harbaugh making a major change will only get louder.
For now, the Chargers head to Seattle to face the 2-1 Seahawks on Sunday. DraftKings Sportsbook listed Los Angeles as a seven-point road underdog as of Wednesday morning.
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Jim Harbaugh reportedly came away supportive of McCarthy, and that endorsement helped shape the Giants thinking as they moved forward. It is not the kind of headline that changes the Chargers depth chart, but it does show how interconnected the league can be when a head coach with Harbaughs reputation is in the mix. For a fan base watching every quarterback ripple across the NFL, the more interesting question is how much more often his opinion ends up nudging decisions like this. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Justin Herbert Weapons Dilemma
The Chargers receiver room is already under a lot of pressure, and the latest personnel shuffle around the league only adds to the conversation. Injuries and uneven play have left Los Angeles searching for more reliable options around Justin Herbert, with Brenen Thompson and Quentin Johnston among the names dealing with health issues or inconsistency while the pass-catching group tries to stabilize.
Odell Beckham Jr. being available again gives the Chargers another name to consider as they look for help, especially with the offense needing more dependable targets. It is the kind of situation that forces a front office to weigh fit, urgency and upside all at once, and in Los Angeles the question is no longer whether Herbert could use more weapons, but which move makes the most sense and how quickly it has to happen. [Read more 🡒]