Offseason Chronicles: It's Time For Justin Herbert To Deliver

Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up with head coach Jim Harbaugh before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, at Acrisure Stadium, in Pittsburgh, PA. (Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)

From the late 1970s to the early/mid-1980s, head coach Don Coryell's legendary "Air Coryell" offence took flight and changed the NFL forever. The "Air Coryell" offence was an extremely pass-heavy, high-octane offensive scheme that prioritized attacking defences with deep passes down the field to create explosive plays. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts was the engine behind the whole thing, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to record consecutive 4,000-yard passing seasons. However, despite breaking numerous records and reaching the AFC Championship game in back-to-back seasons, Fouts and Coryell were never able to break through and take the San Diego Chargers to the Super Bowl.

Decades later, the Chargers managed to find another talented quarterback, a guy known by the name of Philip Rivers. Similar to Fouts who came before him, Rivers put up prolific numbers in a Chargers jersey for over a decade. But ultimately, just like Fouts, Rivers struggled in the postseason, winning just five of his 12 career playoff games, falling short of getting the Chargers to football's grandest stage.

In 2025, the now Los Angeles Chargers are led by Justin Herbert, another ultra-talented, franchise quarterback who has (you guessed it!) broken multiple NFL records throughout his relatively short career thus far, while leading the Chargers to two playoff appearances. Through five NFL seasons, Herbert has thrown for 21,093 yards and scored 150 total touchdowns (137 passing, 13 rushing), while compiling a stellar 96.7 passer rating (15th in NFL history).

However, like Fouts and Rivers, Herbert has struggled to succeed in the playoffs, going 0-2 in his first two postseason starts. His first career playoff game will forever be remembered for being one of the biggest playoff collapses in NFL history. And his second attempt at winning a playoff game this past season didn't go much better. Herbert is still just 27 years old, so he will presumably have more bites at the apple in the coming years. But that's not a guarantee, especially since he plays in the same division as Patrick Mahomes, who is well-known as one of the greatest playoff performers in the history of the sport.

Of course, Herbert isn't solely to blame here. Former Chargers general manager Tom Telesco made multiple errors during his tenure, including hiring Brandon Staley as the team's head coach in 2021. While Staley did an incredible job as the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, it became clear over time that he wasn't the right fit to lead the Chargers into true championship contention. In the end, Staley finished his tenure as the Chargers' head coach with a 24-24 (.500) record, which included an embarrassing 63-21 loss to the division rival Las Vegas Raiders that officially ended the Staley-Telesco era in Los Angeles. Additionally, while Telesco did surround Herbert with a couple of quality weapons on offence, such as Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, talented wideout Mike Williams, and talented pass-catching running back Austin Ekeler, he failed to support Herbert with a good defence. Here's a quick summary of how the Chargers fared in stopping opposing offences through Herbert's first four seasons in the league:

2020: 23rd in scoring defence

2021: tied for 30th in scoring defence

2022: tied for 22nd in scoring defence

2023: 24th in scoring defence

It's taken a while, but the Chargers have finally managed to build a complete team around Herbert. Joe Hortiz has done an excellent job so far during his first two years as the team's general manager, making excellent decisions to change the direction of the franchise, such as the hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2024, with Harbaugh playing a huge role in changing the culture and makeup of the organization. Furthermore, Hortiz also hired defensive coordinator Jesse Minter away from the University of Michigan last year. Last season, Minter established himself as one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL as the Chargers became an elite defensive team under his watch, allowing the fewest points per game in the league.

Hortiz has also done a good job of building a solid ecosystem around Herbert, drafting star players such as star wideout Ladd McConkey (82 catches, 1,149 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns last season) and highly-touted right tackle Joe Alt in the 2024 NFL draft. Additionally, during this past offseason, Hortiz signed running back Najee Harris in free agency before drafting talented running back Omarion Hampton with their first-round selection. The additions of Harris and Hampton should greatly bolster the Chargers' ground attack--which finished 17th in rushing yards per game last season--and take some of the pressure off of Herbert on the offensive side of the ball.

It's safe to say that the stage is set for Justin Herbert. The lead actor for the Chargers finally has the right supporting cast, and it is time for him to deliver an elite box-office performance and take the Chargers to new heights (and, perhaps, uncharted territory).