Stephen A. Smith isn’t ready to let Jim Harbaugh fast-track Justin Herbert into the all-time conversation.
When Harbaugh joined Smith’s show, the Chargers coach made a bold promise about his quarterback’s future. Smith immediately pushed back, asking what exactly Harbaugh plans to unlock that the league hasn’t already seen.
“I'll call my shot like Babe Ruth,” Harbaugh said. “When it's all said and done, Justin Herbert's going to be known as the best to ever play the position.”
Smith didn’t buy the leap without proof.
“What are you going to bring out of him, coach, that we haven't seen? We see the talent, but he hasn't won in the playoffs yet.”
Herbert’s regular-season résumé is solid enough on paper: a 52-43 record, 24,820 passing yards and 163 touchdowns. But the postseason has been a different story. He is 0-3 in the playoffs, a run that includes the Chargers’ stunning 27-0 collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022, a 31-30 loss, plus blowout defeats to the Houston Texans in 2024 and the New England Patriots in 2025.
Harbaugh will get his first real chance to back up the talk when the Chargers open the regular season Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The road there has already gotten bumpier on the offensive line. Center Tyler Biadasz suffered a significant left knee injury during a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers, which moved Jake Slaughter into the starting job after he had been competing at left guard.
Former Chargers defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko took aim at the team’s front office on social media, pointing to the roughly $100 million in cap space the club carried without adding proven interior linemen.
“So many quality free agents were available to build depth,” Fehoko wrote, naming players such as Elgton Jenkins and Wyatt Teller as options the Chargers passed on.
The Chargers also dropped their preseason game against San Francisco, 41-17. Herbert played just three snaps, completed one pass for 9 yards, and watched the first-team offense go three-and-out. As a group, the offense converted only two of 14 third-down chances and managed just 31 rushing yards.
In Other News...
Chargers May Have Found Unexpected O-Line Help At The Right Time
An undrafted rookie has quietly become one of the more interesting offensive line storylines in Chargers camp. Jacob Spomer has been getting work at center and, with injuries thinning that part of the depth chart, he has taken on added importance as the team looks for someone who can at least keep the middle stable in a pinch.
Spomers recent outing offered a promising snapshot of why the staff has kept paying attention. He posted an 82.6 percent pass-blocking rate and did not allow a sack or pressure, a solid sign for a player trying to carve out a role in pass protection. With Tyler Biadasz sidelined, the Chargers could use another dependable interior option, and Spomer is giving himself a real chance to stick around the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers May Have Found A Backfield Difference-Maker In Omarion Hampton
During a joint practice against the 49ers, Omarion Hampton gave the Chargers a flash of the kind of backfield presence they have been looking for. The young runner showed off the physicality and burst that have made him such an intriguing piece, even powering through a run that ended with a defender on the turf. It was the sort of practice sequence that can turn heads quickly, especially for a team still sorting out how much punch it can generate on offense.
Justin Herbert also noticed, praising Hampton for his toughness and leadership as the back enters his second season healthy after an injury-shortened rookie year. For the Chargers, the appeal is obvious: Hampton looks like a player who could matter right away in an offense that needs reliable difference-makers under coach Mike McDaniel. The bigger question now is whether this training-camp momentum carries into a role that matches the promise he showed on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers O-Line Plans Just Took A Brutal Hit Before Week 1
A few days before Week 1, the Chargers were forced to scramble along the offensive line after Tyler Biadasz suffered a severe ACL injury and additional knee damage during joint practices. Los Angeles placed him on injured reserve, ending his season, and the blow landed at a time when the team was still trying to settle its protection plans in front of Jim Harbaugh's first roster.
Harbaugh called it a freak accident, but the real challenge now is practical: the Chargers need to sort through replacement options quickly and keep the line from becoming a weak spot before the games start counting. The team did make a roster addition in wide receiver Gary Jennings, yet the bigger question remains how Los Angeles fills the void created by Biadasz's absence. [Read more 🡒]