Justin Herbert arrived in the NFL with the kind of hype that usually comes with franchise saviors, but the Chargers are staring at a much tougher truth now. The production that once made him look like one of the league’s brightest young quarterbacks has stalled, and this season has only sharpened the concern.
The numbers tell the story. Herbert has not thrown for more than 30 passing touchdowns since his second season, has not topped 4,000 passing yards since his third season and has still never won a playoff game. Los Angeles hired Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator with the hope that he could help unlock Herbert again, but that boost has not shown up.
Instead, Herbert is off to the worst start of his career, with just over 600 passing yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions through the opening stretch of the season. Sunday’s 24-16 loss to the Bills only added to the pressure. The Chargers were up 10-0, but Herbert threw another interception and played a major role in the collapse against a Buffalo team that came in 2-0.
Los Angeles is now 0-3, and the schedule ahead makes the situation even more precarious. The Chargers believed they had finally found a quarterback who could put them on equal footing with the league’s best teams, but right now Herbert has been part of the problem rather than the solution.
His decline in one of his best traits has been especially hard to miss. Herbert built his reputation as a dangerous deep-ball passer, but that part of his game has fallen apart. ESPN reporter Kris Rhim noted that he is only 1-for-12 with three interceptions on throws of 20 or more yards downfield this season.
The bigger picture is hard to ignore, too. Herbert has looked inaccurate, hesitant in the pocket and far less dependable than the player the Chargers once believed they could build around. For a quarterback who was long spoken of as one of the league’s elite, the current version looks a lot different.
In Other News...
Maxx Crosby Sees One Reason This Raiders Start Feels Different
The Raiders 3-0 start has already drawn its share of attention, and Maxx Crosby said the early feel around this group is not just about the record. The veteran defensive end pointed to the teams focus and the way players have stayed close through a summer that included plenty of trade speculation, a backdrop that could have easily created noise in the locker room.
For a Chargers fan watching the AFC West unfold, that matters because Las Vegas has looked like a team comfortable with its footing right away. Crosbys read on the mood suggests the Raiders believe this stretch is built on more than momentum, which is part of why their start has taken on a different kind of meaning this season. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Is Facing Pressure Packers Fans Never Expected This Early
The early-season wobble around the Chargers has put Jim Harbaugh in an uncomfortable spot, but he is hardly alone among the leagues established coaches feeling the heat. Across the NFL, slow starts have a way of turning September into a referendum on the direction of a program, and the spotlight is already growing sharper on a trio of veteran head coaches whose teams have not met expectations.
Matt LaFleurs situation is the one that stands out most because Packers fans were not expecting this much urgency this soon, especially after a lopsided loss left Green Bay at 1-2. For the Chargers, the parallel is easy to see: when a season opens badly, the questions stop being about one game and start becoming about the bigger picture, and thats the kind of pressure that can follow a coach well beyond the next Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Panic Is Growing As Their Brutal Start Gets Even Worse
Three weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the Chargers are already dealing with a kind of frustration that goes beyond a simple bad break or two. They have lost three games even while forcing multiple turnovers, which is the sort of stat line that usually keeps a team afloat long enough to find its footing. Instead, it has only made the slow start feel more maddening for a roster that expected far better.
Around the league, there are other early-season problems worth monitoring, from Drake Mayes uneven statistical start in New England to the Rams injury-related setbacks and Houstons 0-3 hole. But for the Chargers, the concern is more immediate because the margin for error is already shrinking. A defense creating takeaways should be a foundation, yet the results have not followed, and the question now is how long they can keep waiting for the rest of the season to catch up. [Read more 🡒]