NFL Coach Reveals What Jim Harbaugh Will Do To Elevate QB Justin Herbert Into Stardom

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has always been one of the most physically-gifted passers since he entered the league. While the young signal-caller hasn’t reached his potential yet, many around the NFL are confident Jim Harbaugh and the new Chargers coaching staff will get him there.

Herbert, a Pro Bowl selection in 2021, never really had a strong supporting cast in Los Angeles. In the instances when both wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were healthy, providing Herbert with two great offensive weapons, the Chargers offensive line and play-calling held him back.

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• Justin Herbert stats ( ESPN ): 95.7 QB rating, 17,223 passing yards, 66.6% completion rate, 7.1 yards per attempt, 114 passing touchdowns, 42 interceptions in 62 career games

The past two seasons have been the most challenging for Herbert. In his first two years in the NFL, the Chargers quarterback averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, 292.2 passing yards per game with a 97.9 QB rating. Over the last two seasons, Herbert averaged 6.8 yards per attempt, 262.4 passing yards per game and a 93.2 QB rating.

Despite the dip in production and some time missed due to injuries, evaluators around the league remain just as high on Herbert. Mike Sando of The Athletic released his NFL quarterback tiers on Monday and Herbert tied for fifth with Matthew Stafford.

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“I would put him below Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Patrick Mahomes as far as what I see in a quarterback who can do anything and everything, not just in a scheme. I think he is a gamer. He can throw, he can run. I just think they have asked him to throw the ball too much.”

Anonymous defensive coach on Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert

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Herbert did drop from Tier 1, which now consists of just Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, but he did finish with a voting average of 1.6, which is just behind the minimum for Tier 1 (1.5) inclusion. Furthermore, there seems to be a strong belief around the league that Herbert can return to Tier 1 in NFL QB rankings next year.

As for Harbaugh’s on-field impact on Herbert, one NFL defensive coordinator explained to Sando exactly how he sees the Chargers coach having a positive influence on the quarterback this season and beyond.

“Harbaugh will challenge the competitive level, and Herbert will respond to that. The culture is what is going to help Herbert elevate. Then we will be able to see some things in moments where, OK, can this guy really do that? Because I’ve played him before when he did not do it in those situations, and we were not that good.”

NFL defensive coordinator on what Los Angeles Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh will do for Justin Herbert

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Of course, this doesn’t account for the fact that the Chargers receiving corps is arguably one of the worst in the NFL right now and there are several new starters on the offensive line. Those issues paired with Herbert entering the regular season with a plantar fascia injury are concerning for his effectiveness in 2024.

With that acknowledged, what has to matter for Los Angeles are the improvements made to the offensive line and the very culture that Harbaugh is bringing in. If the Chargers offensive line becomes a cohesive unit and the locker room buys into Herbert’s vision, fans will see his game improve along the way.

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