The Los Angeles Chargers are preparing to embark on a new era under former Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was formally announced as the NFL team’s new front man in a press conference on Thursday,
It’s clear Harbaugh is thrilled for the opportunity, especially getting a chance to work with QB Justin Herbert, who he’s raved about multiple times since taking the job, and even prior.
Herbert is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in football, a 6-foot-6 statue of a man with a cannon for an arm and the touch to put the ball exactly where it needs to be. There are few coaches in the NFL who wouldn’t trade their quarterback for Herbert. Harbaugh knows what he’s been handed.
“Justin Herbert, you see; he’s a crown jewel in the National Football League,” Jim Harbaugh said.
In an interview on CBS before the AFC Championship, Harbaugh had a wild admission about meeting his new QB for the first time.
“I was a little starstruck to meet Justin,” the man who just coached Michigan to the NCAA national championship said about a quarterback who has led the Chargers to one postseason appearance and no playoff wins during his four seasons with the team.
Clearly, Harbaugh was referring to Herbert’s undeniable skills and seemingly still untapped potential at the position Harbaugh once played for the Chargers and several other NFL teams. Herbert was named the Associated Press offensive rookie of the year in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl the following season. He was second in the league for yards passing in 2021 and 2022 and has completed 66% of his passes for 17,223 yards with 114 touchdowns and 42 interceptions.
In four seasons since the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Justin Herbert with the No. 6 pick, he’s shown flashes of his tremendous upside. He earned Rookie of the Year in a talented field, then made the Pro Bowl in his second season.
Harbaugh has a history of success with getting the most out of is quarterbacks, from Andrew Luck to JJ McCarthy.
He believes Herbert has uncapped raw talent and is clearly thrilled with the challenge of getting the most out of him.
New Los Angeles Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh Says Justin Herbert Could Be A ‘Pro Bowl Tight End Or Tremendous Edge Rusher’
It’s abundantly clear Harbaugh is enamored with the athletic ability and physical gifts his new quarterback is bringing to the table.
On Friday, Harbaugh joined the Pat McAfee show and said he believes there’s no style of football Herbert wouldn’t excel at.
“If you want to talk about RPOs and he was just going to be a running quarterback, he could be that,” Harbaugh said. “He can be a drop back pocket passer and has the potential to be the absolute best at that.”
Then Jim Harbaugh took his affinity for Justin Herbert to another level, declaring he believes the Los Angeles Chargers QB could thrive at multiple positions in the NFL.
“He could probably be a pro bowl tight end. He could be your punter, he could be your kicker, he would be a tremendous edge rusher,” Harbaugh said.
It’s clear the new Chargers head coach is focused on maximizing Herbert, protecting him at all costs and believes he may have the best QB prospect he’s had during his coaching career which is saying a lot.