Justin Herbert’s latest preseason flash gave Colin Cowherd enough to make a simple point: the Chargers quarterback looks ready for what Los Angeles is asking of him in 2026.
Justin Herbert. Ready for 2026/27 https://t.co/zZrwngiXZ9
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) August 28, 2026
During the Chargers’ preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, Herbert uncorked a 65-yard strike to Quentin Johnston, and Cowherd of Fox Sports reacted quickly. “Justin Herbert. Ready for 2026/27,” Cowherd wrote.
That kind of confidence comes with Herbert’s track record. In six seasons with the Chargers, he has gone 52-43 as a starter and piled up 24,820 passing yards, 163 touchdowns and 58 interceptions. He’s already checked off major milestones too, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and earning two Pro Bowl selections, including in 2026.
The Chargers are banking on that résumé to carry them into a bigger year. Since Herbert arrived in 2020, the team has reached the playoffs three times, only to fall in the Wild Card Round each time. Now the pressure is on to turn all that regular-season production into something deeper.
Los Angeles has made clear it wants to give Herbert more help. The team brought in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, and the offensive line is set for a reset with tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning. The message from the Chargers is obvious: surround Herbert with enough talent and let him drive the ceiling.
If it clicks, the upside in Los Angeles looks wide open. If it doesn’t, and the Chargers end up back in the same Wild Card spot, the noise around this team is only going to get louder.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Kicking Concern Fans Cant Ignore
A preseason miss usually gets shrugged off, but Cameron Dickers 49-yard attempt did more than leave points on the field for the Chargers. He headed to the medical tent afterward, and for a team that has leaned on his reliability, any hint of a kicking issue lands as more than a footnote.
Dicker later said he is fine, but Jim Harbaughs comment that the kicker is working through something keeps the situation on the radar as the Chargers turn their attention to Arizona. For a club trying to settle in before the regular season, the hope is simple: Dicker is back to normal and ready for the upcoming game against the Cardinals. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Roster Battle Got A Lot More Interesting Against The Rams
The Chargers preseason finale at SoFi Stadium offered a little of everything in a 20-18 loss to the Rams, and it gave the front office and coaching staff a final look at several players fighting for spots. Justin Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston on a 65-yard touchdown, while backup quarterback DJ Uiagalelei chipped in with 141 passing yards and a two-point conversion pass, keeping the offense lively even as the game turned into an evaluation night.
Greg Desrosiers may have done the most to stir the roster conversation, piling up 118 rushing yards and a touchdown to give the ground game a real jolt. In a game that was more about sorting out the bottom of the roster than the final score, performances like that tend to linger in the decision room, especially when there are only so many jobs available and a few players have clearly made things harder on the coaches. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Roster Cuts Could Leave One Big Young Talent Debate
With the Chargers heading toward their final 53-man decisions, the attention quickly shifts to the next layer of roster building, and that is where the real debate begins. Draft analyst Thomas Martinez laid out a projected practice squad that leans on a mix of young players, preseason contributors and a few familiar depth pieces, giving a pretty clear look at how the team might try to preserve upside after the cutdown deadline.
The most interesting part is how many different paths still seem open for quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and defensive role players who flashed in camp or preseason action. Injuries and versatility are part of the calculation, and that makes the back end of the roster feel especially unsettled for now, with some of the biggest calls still hanging on how the Chargers value development versus immediate depth. [Read more 🡒]