How Jim Harbaugh plans to reach goal of getting Justin Herbert to Hall of Fame

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh’s second offseason as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers has been all about putting his late-night epiphany regarding his star quarterback into action.

Last month on the “Rich Eisen Show,” Harbaugh said he recently woke up in the middle of the night with the stark realization that his task was to get Justin Herbert into the hallowed halls of Canton.

“I woke the other day and said, ‘I got to get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame,’” Harbaugh told Eisen. “Must get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. It’s just one of those things you wake up at 3:30, 4 in the morning. Sometimes, that’s when your best ideas come.

“You kind of process that, and that would mean winning a couple Super Bowls — and a lot of people would benefit from that. So, that’s a worthy goal. And I think it’s necessary that we get him surrounded with as many good football players to his level as possible.”  

Mind you, Herbert is 41-38 as a starter during the regular season and has yet to win a playoff game in five NFL seasons. And Herbert is coming off one of his worst games as a pro, throwing four interceptions in an embarrassing road loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild-card round of the 2024 playoffs.

The Chargers remain one of 12 NFL teams that has yet to win a Super Bowl. 

Herbert is a puzzling quarterback evaluation for NFL observers. Blessed with ideal size and physical tools, the 6-foot-6, 238-pound Herbert has thrown for more passing yards through five NFL seasons (21,093) than anyone else in league history. He has topped 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in each of his first five seasons, joining Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson as the only three players in league history to accomplish that feat.

However, Herbert has reached only one Pro Bowl and has made no All-Pro teams during that timeframe and he’s failed to be in the MVP conversation in any of those seasons. And the Oregon product has wilted in two playoff appearances, with the Bolts giving up a 27-point lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2022 regular season and falling to the Texans last season. 

In his two playoff appearances, Herbert has completed just 39 of 75 passes (52%) for 515 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s been sacked seven times and posted a 60.7 passer rating in the postseason. 

“It’s just like every other loss,” Herbert said about last season’s setback to the Texans. “You take a look at what you did wrong, what you did right, and you try and improve. And if I took any more time worrying about or focusing on the loss, I’d be doing a disservice to my teammates. Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted, but we’ve got to move on. 

“You’ve got to take a look at what you did wrong. Be honest with yourself, be critical. But you can’t let it take up too much of your time.”

Chargers defensive co-captain Derwin James said Herbert isn’t entirely to blame for the loss.

“We’re all taking it as we didn’t finish how we wanted,” James said. “I don’t think no player or coach on this roster is taking it as he had a good game or he had a bad game. We all lost together. And I feel like we’re all working towards getting back to that situation and getting it done this year.” 

For his part, Harbaugh has focused on improving the personnel around Herbert, taking the pressure off the QB to carry the team. One of the criticisms of the Chargers last season was the lack of playmakers at Herbert’s disposal on offense. 

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz addressed that issue by selecting three pass-catchers in the draft: Tre Harris in the second round, along with KeAndre Lambert-Smith and tight end Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round. That trio should certainly help last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Ladd McConkey.

The Bolts also selected one of the best running backs in this year’s draft in Omarion Hampton and added four-time 1,000-yard rusher Najee Harris in free agency. They improved the offensive line by adding road-grader Mekhi Becton at right guard and brought back Herbert’s security blanket in the passing game in Mike Williams.

In all, the Chargers have four former first-round draft picks along the offensive line in tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, along with center Zion Johnson and Becton. They have first-rounders on the perimeter in Quentin Johnston and Williams and first-round picks in Hampton and Harris in the backfield. The Chargers even have a former first-round pick backing up Herbert in Trey Lance. 

The bottom line is that Harbaugh has eliminated the excuse that Herbert doesn’t have enough playmakers to lean on offensively. 

“I wouldn’t change a thing about Justin Herbert,” Harbaugh said. “The important thing is everybody else — especially the guys he’s counting on, on the offensive side of the ball. Just look at his example of how he goes about his business, how he trains. And they [need to] get to that level.”

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that Herbert should have better mastery of the offense as he works in the same scheme for a second consecutive year. 

“He can go out and run the practice,” Roman said. “He knows this offense inside and out now. Last year at this time, it was his third offense in three years, so that was a challenge. … We understand who we are now, way different than we did last year.” 

The Chargers averaged just 23.6 points per game last season. But with a more accomplished offensive line and new playmakers, can Herbert raise the team’s play enough to have a chance to win a Lombardi Trophy? Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season with that team.  

“I know it motivates me every day,” Harbaugh said. “I get up out of bed and I’ve got to rise up to his level. He’s doing anything and everything that he can possibly do. And now it’s up to the rest of us to aspire to get to that level.”

A Super Bowl for the Chargers and a Gold Jacket for Herbert would be dreams come true — and worth losing sleep over.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.

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