Jim Harbaugh didn’t sound like a coach merely making the best of a new hire. He sounded like a man who thinks the Los Angeles Chargers may have found something special.
After the Chargers brought in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator in January, just days after McDaniel was fired as coach of the Miami Dolphins, Harbaugh made it clear he was all in on the move. In a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Harbaugh said he was hooked almost immediately.
“I like him. I like him, and I didn't know him.
I'd never really met him or talked to him, but it’s like, ‘That guy's going to have to prove to me that I don’t like him.' That was my initial impression.
And, ‘Wait, he's available? Wow, let's swing for the fences here,'” admitted the 62-year-old Harbaugh.
Harbaugh went even further when talking about the pool of offensive talent that was out there.
“This was a year where eight or nine, some of the top offensive minds and play-callers, you're looking at it, like, ‘Oh, they're all available?' But he was at the top of the list.
I love him. I don't just like him.
I love him.”
McDaniel’s run in Miami produced only marginal success, and his offbeat style didn’t always land the way it was supposed to. Even so, Harbaugh sees a coach who can help give the Chargers a real spark, especially because of how naturally he fits with Justin Herbert.
“Love his energy. Love the way he thinks.
Love the way he sees football. I always thought it was a great fit with Justin.
Both those guys are so smart, and it's even better than I thought,” added Harbaugh, who is in his third year in Los Angeles.
“We can talk about all the football reasons, and that's really why it's a great fit. Justin's accuracy, Mike's vision of football and timing, and receivers out of the break? That's Justin.”
Beyond Herbert, McDaniel could also help unlock Ladd McConkey, Omarion Hampton, Rashawn Slater, and Joe Alt.
For now, Harbaugh sounds convinced the Chargers didn’t just add an offensive coordinator. They added a mind he believes can change the temperature of the whole operation.
In Other News...
Branson Taylor Is Giving Harbaughs Chargers Culture A Real Test
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Jim Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert have all spoken highly of Taylors progress, which says plenty about how far he has come in a short time. For a team trying to build a tougher identity up front, Taylor has become more than a developmental lineman, he is now a real test of how quickly the Chargers culture can translate into dependable production when the pads stay on and the job gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
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Rashawn Slater's Camp Absence Has Chargers Fans Watching Closely
Rashawn Slaters training camp absence has become one of the more closely watched storylines around the Chargers, especially after the left tackle spent last season working back from a torn patellar tendon that ended his year. The team has been careful with him through camp, and the goal remains getting one of its most important offensive linemen ready for the regular season without pushing him too fast.
Slater has now missed three straight practices, which is enough to keep fans on edge even though there has not been any official sign of a new serious injury. The early concern that surfaced during the first padded practice has not turned into a confirmed setback, and for now the situation appears to be more about caution than alarm as the Chargers manage his recovery. [Read more 🡒]