Since entering the NFL in 2020, Justin Herbert has been nothing short of historically great.
He was unexpectedly thrust into the starting role early in his rookie season, and he ran with it. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year among one of the greatest quarterback classes of all time, setting records along the way.
He amassed more completions in his first five seasons than any quarterback in league history. This year, he broke the NFL record for total completions through a player’s first six seasons. Despite all of that, the Chargers have consistently put him in a position to be undercut by their own mismanagement.
A Generational Talent Carrying a Dysfunctional Team
Herbert isn’t just good; he’s survived in the league year after year despite subpar support around him. The coaches surrounding the team in the past few years have simply insufficient.
The hiring of Brandon Staley seemingly set the team back 10 years. When the Chargers hired him ahead of the 2021 season, the backbone of his candidacy was with his ability to coach a defense. Instead, Los Angeles gave up the third-most points in the league that season. Between the Week 18 loss to the Raiders, which caused them to miss the playoffs, and the infamous 27-0 blown lead against the Jaguars in the following postseason, Staley’s presence lingered far too long on a team with a top-10 QB.
The special teams are serviceable now—in fact quite good—but there was a time when one-score games were lost because the defense gave up monster runs, and the special teams missed extra points that negated the historic numbers Herbert was putting up.
Offensive Liability
The near constant through it all? The Chargers’ offensive line has repeatedly failed him. Even when his protection was at full strength, the Chargers’ line has been problematic.
This season has been particularly brutal. With Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt out, Herbert is operating behind an unstable front made up of third- and fourth-string players. His pressure rate has spiked as a result. Coach Jim Harbaugh himself called it “very concerning,” acknowledging the number of hits Herbert is taking. The stakes are incredibly high, but the team’s needs are nowhere near being met.
This isn’t a hyperbole; putting Herbert behind a bad line is costing games and risking his long-term health. The hits were so severe against Jacksonville in Week 11 that Herbert had to be evaluated in the medical tent. He was then sent back out to play. He’s been sacked and blitzed more than anyone in the league.
In their Wild Card loss to the Texans in 2024, Herbert was pressured on half of his dropbacks and sacked four times. Coaches, teammates, and fans mutually understood that a “disservice” had been done, but little has been done.
Poor Organizational Planning Around Herbert
This isn’t just bad luck or bad health; there’s a pattern.
In the trade-deadline window, the Chargers brought in Trevor Penning. He is widely regarded as one of the weaker offensive linemen in the league. That’s not adding protection; that’s barely a band-aid.
Derwin James, one of Herbert’s teammates, has publicly defended him, saying Herbert “don’t deserve” the criticism following games in which Herbert plays poorly according to stat lines. However, it cannot all be attributed to him. But if the organization doesn’t fix the structural problems around him—namely, most urgently, the offensive line, those defenses of him might continue to capitalize.
Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz have said all the right things. They claim they want to build around him. But words only matter if there’s real action. Right now, Herbert is being forced to carry the offense on his back. He is making plays and trying to win behind a patchwork line that puts him in jeopardy.
Los Angeles’ failures to support Herbert predate Harbaugh and Horitz’s tenure. Too often, the front office has opted for patchwork signings instead of legitimate upgrades. Its cap allocation routinely went elsewhere, and the results showed. Herbert has never had a consistently above-average line. The front office seems to prioritize big moves and signings at the wrong times. This has created an environment where a single injury can derail the entire team.
The Chargers seem to rely on Herbert’s sheer talent to overcome structural weaknesses rather than fixing the foundation itself.
Wasting His Prime?
Justin Herbert has proven he could be one of the defining quarterbacks of his generation. But unless the Chargers get serious about protecting him, with better offensive-line investments, smarter roster moves, and a willingness to spend where it matters, they risk wasting one of the most talented QBs in the league.
If Herbert goes down, or his performance declines because of injury, it won’t be because of him. It will be because the team around him failed. And that would be one of the most significant organizational failures in modern NFL history.
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