that Los Angeles ChargersThe Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders marked a key moment in the relationship between quarterback Justin Herbert and coach Jim Harbaugh.
After the national anthem, Harbaugh tapped Herbert’s shoulder pads with his palms. Herbert, unprepared, attempted a hug, but Harbaugh continued to hit Herbert’s pads and throw punches.
The pad punch comes from Harbaugh’s 14-year playing career, a tip he learned from Bears teammate and Hall of Famer running back Walter Payton to relax him. Harbaugh continued the ritual every game, and Herbert’s willingness to participate surprised some players.
“Justin has always hated cameras and being the center of attention, but I see him smile when he smiles,” left tackle Rashawn Slater said. [Harbaugh] I think doing that shows he really respects the coach.”
One of the hallmarks of Harbaugh’s coaching career was his relationships with the quarterbacks he coached. From Josh Johnson at the University of San Diego to Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh has helped improve his team’s quarterbacks. But my relationship with Herbert is different. Harbaugh had been infatuated with the 26-year-old Herbert since taking the job, and was fascinated by Herbert’s physique, intelligence, and even his clothes.
Herbert, who is typically reserved and shuns public praise, appears to have stepped out of his comfort zone to embrace Harbaugh.
“He’s the player everyone wants to follow,” Herbert said.
This is a very important relationship for the Chargers franchise, which is looking to compete for the organization’s first Super Bowl with the help of Harbaugh and Herbert. Results on the field have been volatile through six weeks, with Herbert hitting career lows in almost every passing category and leading the Chargers to a 3-2 lead ahead of “Monday Night Football” (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN+) against the Arizona Cardinals. Recorded. .
“It’s a bit of a bromance,” Hayden Hurst said. “I think Jim really wants to emulate Justin. It’s kind of funny because he has all the physical attributes that Jim says he doesn’t have. I think they complement each other well.”
Like many players, Herbert often high-fives his teammates and slaps their helmets as he comes off the field after big plays. But Harbaugh told Herbert earlier this season that such rituals needed to end.
“He didn’t speak with his right hand,” Herbert said. “I can high-five with my left hand.”
Harbaugh wants Herbert to protect the franchise’s most valuable hand. A fractured right index finger ended Herbert’s season in Week 14 last year, and the Chargers were winless during that span, so Harbaugh’s logic makes sense. Still, the interaction admittedly made outside linebacker Joey Bosa jealous.
“What about me? My fingers are already so damaged. It doesn’t matter.” Bosa joked. “But no, [Harbaugh] “I think it would be interesting to watch their relationship and see how they should treat each other,” he said.
The relationship can often seem like Harbaugh is emulating Herbert in the way he does with his younger brother and older brother. Harbaugh said he wanted to be best friends with Herbert, saying, “If you don’t like it, if you don’t love it, Justin Herbert, there’s something wrong with you.”
At the same press conference, Harbaugh said he had started wearing the same Nike sneakers as Herbert and had asked an equipment employee to buy him a pair of “Justin Herbert” shoes. He walked to the left of the podium to show reporters his white and black sneakers.
That admiration also extends to other areas, such as team meetings earlier this season where Herbert began raising calves and Harbaugh followed suit. “Jim looked him up and down and started doing calf lifts.” Hearst said, laughing hysterically.
Harbaugh played quarterback in the NFL for 14 years, but he had none of Herbert’s passing ability. That’s one of the reasons he admires Herbert. Harbaugh told reporters that if he could pick which genes to trade for Herbert during his career, Herbert’s arm talent would be at the top of the list. Harbaugh also once said that he began coaching backup quarterbacks Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke differently because Herbert was “unreplicable.”
On the field, the relationship was not an overwhelming success for Herbert. In fact, Herbert is off to the worst statistical start of his career. For all of Harbaugh’s affection for Herbert, offensive coordinator Greg Roman employed Herbert less than his previous coach.
“If we throw 500 or 50, we should just be executed on offense,” Herbert said. “Selfishly, I love throwing the football, but I want to make sure this offense is the best we can be, and I want to see that change from week to week.”
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Through six games, Herbert has posted career lows in passing yards (815), attempts (125) and completions (80). Some of his statistical decline may be due to Herbert dealing with a high right ankle sprain from Week 2 of this season, but the offense has not relied on Herbert as much as coordinators have done in previous years. He entered this season averaging the most pass attempts per game (39.1) in NFL history.
But the offensive strategy changed in the Chargers’ Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos.
Herbert looked like his old self, posting season highs in passing yards (237), completions (21) and attempts (34) while throwing for a touchdown.
“I hope this reminds everyone that Justin Herbert is really good at playing quarterback,” Harbaugh said.
It was another moment when Harbaugh praised Herbert through a press conference. It’s a strategy he’s used his entire career to build confidence in his quarterbacks.
There were a number of topics to be addressed publicly at the March league meeting, the first since Harbaugh took over as manager. Chief among them was the decision to trade longtime wide receiver Keenan Allen.
But that day, Harbaugh made waves by praising quarterback JJ McCarthy, who played under Harbaugh at the University of Michigan and was expected to be a first-round pick. Harbaugh called McCarthy the best quarterback in the draft and said McCarthy had the best throwing pro day he’s ever seen.
Harbaugh’s public infatuation with McCarthy raised questions about whether Harbaugh would be willing to trade Herbert, and several teams contacted the Chargers to inquire about a trade. Those calls were quickly shot down by general manager Joe Hortiz, who already knew more than most how much Harbaugh respected Herbert.
Since he started as head coach at the University of San Diego 20 years ago, Harbaugh’s admiration for the quarterbacks who have played for him has been visceral. That much became clear after he was briefly forced to leave the Chargers’ Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos due to an irregular heartbeat. After the game, Harbaugh recalled the last time he felt similar discomfort. He said it was during a 2012 game when he coached the San Francisco 49ers. He was quick to mention quarterback Colin Kaepernick. “Colin had a really good night that night.” He made an aside before explaining the medical procedure he underwent after the game.
In Harbaugh’s second season at USD, he started Josh Johnson, a sophomore quarterback from Oakland, California, who was unsure about his football future. Harbaugh changed that.
Johnson has had one of the best careers in Toreros history. He still holds the school records for career efficiency rating (176.7), completion percentage (.679) and touchdown passes in a season (43). Johnson has been playing in the NFL since 2008 and is currently a Batimore Raven playing for Jim’s brother, John Harbaugh. Johnson credits his long NFL career to the influence of Jim Harbaugh.
“Playing for him changed my life,” Johnson said. “He gave me a lot of confidence. He was the first person to tell me with certainty, ‘You’re going to play in the NFL.’ Even before I believed it, he believed it.”
Harbaugh’s consistent public praise is paired with a gentle, patient approach to position coaching, which players say is unusual. It was a unique experience for Chargers quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who joined the team less than two months ago. He was surprised by Harbaugh’s relatively calm approach to mistakes, juxtaposing it with his experience playing under Norv Turner, the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers, when Heinicke played both positions.
Heinicke said that Turner was one of his favorite coaches, but that he was “afraid” of Turner because of the way he disciplined him and other quarterbacks who made mistakes. “I still have some nightmares about him,” Heinicke said.
“Harbaugh is definitely more inspiring than other people I’ve been around,” he said.
It was a similar experience for quarterback Easton Stick, who has been with the Chargers since 2019 and has had three different coaches assist Herbert. Stick said Harbaugh’s experience as a quarterback has shaped his approach, making him more patient than other coaches.
Still, Heinicke and Stick said Harbaugh’s process and relationship were special to Herbert’s.
“There’s a really unique love and respect there.” Stick said with a smile.
NFL reporter Jamison Hensley contributed to this story.
