The buzz surrounding Justin Herbert has reached a fever pitch. Some fans call it "glazing," while NFL insiders might refer to it as "Jim Harbaughing." Regardless of the label, the relentless praise for the Chargers’ quarterback has drawn intense scrutiny to one of the league’s most talented—and polarizing—players.
Herbert took the field at SoFi Stadium last weekend as the clear favorite, the player expected to dominate the contest. By the final whistle, however, he had been out‑performed by veteran Jacoby Brissett, a quarterback who has become a fan favorite, and a struggling Arizona Cardinals squad that remains on the fringe of postseason conversation.
Brissett’s poise, combined with a gritty defensive effort, propelled the Cardinals to a 26‑14 victory over Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. The win kept the Cardinals within the playoff bubble, but it also raised questions about whether the Chargers were over‑hyped as one of the season’s most exciting contenders. Were expectations inflated? Only time will reveal the answer.
The game unfolded like a textbook example of a Chargers‑style performance in recent years: a chaotic mix of errors and missed opportunities that neutralized the impact of superior individual talent. This pattern has become all too familiar for a team that often looks more promising on paper than on the scoreboard. If you were to hand a newcomer a highlight reel of NFL starting quarterbacks and ask them to identify the most dangerous, most feared, or simply the best, many would point to Herbert. He epitomizes the quarterback fantasy: a cannon arm, a mobile presence, a towering frame, and the ability to launch deep, pinpoint throws at breakneck velocity.
Yet those very attributes also fuel the frustration that has dogged his career thus far. When Herbert is at his best, he is spectacular—capable of matching up against any defense and providing a marquee attraction for football fans. Doubt about his raw skill has been rare; the real debate centers on his killer instinct and whether he truly belongs among the NFL’s elite play‑callers. In Sunday’s loss, Herbert completed 17 of 27 attempts for 209 yards, one touchdown, and an ill‑timed interception while attempting to drive downfield with ten minutes left and trailing by nine points.
The game began positively for him, as he orchestrated an eight‑play, 77‑yard scoring drive that featured three passes totaling 60 yards to Ladd McConkey. Unfortunately, McConkey suffered a chest injury after his touchdown catch, leaving Herbert without one of his most reliable targets. The Chargers’ offense sputtered after that injury. They punted, turned the ball over on downs, threw an interception, and again failed to convert on fourth down on five consecutive possessions without McConkey.
In the fourth quarter, they never crossed midfield in four drives and accumulated six penalties, five of which came in the second half, including three consecutive infractions on their penultimate series. The performance came just days after head coach Jim Harbaugh made a bold proclamation about Herbert’s future. "When his career is over, I predict we’ll look back and say Justin Herbert was the greatest quarterback to ever play the position," Harbaugh declared, likening his confidence to Babe Ruth pointing his bat toward center field. Harbaugh has been Herbert’s most vocal advocate since taking the helm in 2024, repeatedly praising his potential for greatness.
However, such lofty praise inevitably raises expectations and places the quarterback under a Hollywood‑style spotlight. Is there such a thing as too much hype? It is worth remembering that this is only Week 1—a time when premature panic is common.
The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots both lost their opening games last season before advancing to the Super Bowl, and the heavily favored Los Angeles Rams were upset by the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne. No one wrote those teams off, and seasons are rarely defined by a single early‑season result.
Still, a shaky start adds another layer of doubt. Part of the intrigue surrounding Herbert this year stems from the hiring of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
McDaniel’s reputation suffered after a disappointing finish to his tenure as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, yet many believe his arrival could unlock the full potential of Herbert’s “alien” arm. In Miami, McDaniel’s offense relied on quick‑release passes, extensive pre‑snap motion, and a dynamic rushing attack that gave quarterback Tua Tagovailoa plenty of space to operate. Herbert will likely need to step out of his comfort zone and adapt to a similar scheme, a transition that requires time for any quarterback‑coordinator partnership to flourish. McDaniel’s early impact in Los Angeles has been limited.
The running game stalled, with second‑year back Omarion Hampton managing just 43 yards on 12 carries—an average of 1.5 yards per attempt—behind a line that allowed three sacks. Previously, under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Chargers had enjoyed a more balanced attack that helped stabilize the offense. Without that balance, the team looks incomplete. Protection has also been a persistent issue for Herbert.
He was sacked 54 times last season, the second‑most in the league, as the Chargers played without Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater for the entire year and missed Pro Bowl right tackle Joe Alt for 11 games due to injury. Entering the 2026 season, Herbert had already endured 225 sacks and 615 hits—the most any quarterback has faced since his 2020 draft class.
While both Slater and Alt returned for the opening game, interior line weaknesses remained evident. Statistically, Herbert’s resume is impressive. He has amassed 24,820 passing yards in his first six seasons, ranking second all‑time behind Peyton Manning. He also surpassed Manning for the most completions in a quarterback’s first six seasons.
Additionally, he set the record for three consecutive 4,000‑yard passing seasons from 2020 to 2022, supported by a talented receiving corps that included Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler. The gradual departure of those weapons has left Herbert relying on newer targets such as Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and tight end David Njoku.
Despite these individual accolades, Chargers fans remain fixated on playoff success—a metric where the team has yet to deliver. In three postseason appearances, Herbert has not recorded a single playoff win. He has experienced a devastating 27‑0 collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 Wild Card round, posted a career‑low 43.8 percent completion rate with four interceptions against the Houston Texans in the 2024 playoffs, and was sacked six times while throwing for just 159 yards with no touchdowns against the New England Patriots last season. There is something commendable about Herbert’s ability to become one of the league’s marquee faces without yet breaking through the ultimate glass ceiling of postseason triumph.
The AFC remains crowded with elite quarterbacks, and the league seems eager to see Herbert join the perennial frontrunners. Yet games like Sunday’s loss should not be a regular occurrence for a quarterback in his seventh year. As the 2026 season unfolds, Herbert’s narrative remains both captivating and unpredictable. Whether he will fulfill the lofty predictions of his coach and become the greatest quarterback of all time—or remain the NFL’s most prominent underachiever—remains to be seen.
The journey ahead promises drama, development, and perhaps, finally, the breakthrough that has eluded him thus far.