Justin Herbert
1. What Herbert Actually Said
Justin Herbert has publicly addressed the struggles surrounding his protection and the performance of the offensive line (O‑line) for the Los Angeles Chargers.
After the 2023 game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, despite being sacked five times, Herbert said:
> “When they bring pressure … you’ve got to find completions, you’ve got to get the ball out quick. I took some sacks that I’d love to have back. I thought our guys battled. The offensive line did a good job holding up and giving me time to get the ball off.”
Here, he accepts personal responsibility — but also gives credit to the O‐line.
More recently, following a 2025 loss to the New York Giants (Week 4), he was more blunt:
> “We had our shot and we didn’t execute … We gotta do a better job executing.”
And later added:
“It’s part of the game, playing quarterback is you’re going to get hit … you’ve got to be ready to get hit.”
Here, he implicitly acknowledges protection issues while maintaining a QB‑mindset.
2. What Jim Harbaugh Said
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has been vocal about the state of the O‑line and Herbert’s situation. Some of his more pointed comments:
After the 2024 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans, Harbaugh spotlighted the interior O‑line:
> “Quarterback’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion. We didn’t put him in the position to do that enough.”
He essentially placed part of the responsibility for Herbert’s poor outing on the protection.
Concerning the rate at which Herbert was being hit in 2025, Harbaugh commented:
> “He has taken too many [hits]. Yeah, it’s very concerning. We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to put him in a better position.”
He also admitted the O‑line was an area of concern. “Don’t think he’s been in a good position.”
More broadly (July 2025), Harbaugh referred to Herbert’s “biggest weakness” as being the supporting cast — including the offensive line:
> “This is the truth: Justin Herbert’s biggest weakness is all of those that he’s counting on on offence – … offensive line … to get up to his level.”
That’s a remarkably public acknowledgement that the O‑line needs to improve.
3. Why This Matters
Protection matters: When the QB isn’t given clean pockets or sufficient time, decisions are rushed, accuracy suffers, and turnovers/pressure increase. Harbaugh’s remarks after the Texans loss explicitly tie Herbert’s four‑pick game to poor protection.
Execution gap: Herbert’s own comments suggest he believes the line did something right at times (“did a good job holding up”), but overall execution — including his own and the unit’s — still wasn’t sufficient.
Internal consistency: The fact both coach and QB are talking about the same area (offensive line protection) adds weight to the issue being legitimate rather than just narrative.
Strategic implication: If the O‑line is a weakness, this limits offensive creativity (less time for routes to develop), increases reliance on quick throws/runs, and impacts margin for error in big games.
4. Key Takeaways & Insights
Herbert is taking accountability for his plays (e.g., sacks he “would love to have back”). But he’s also setting the expectation that the team (including the O‑line) must improve.
Harbaugh is frankly saying the O‑line hasn’t been good enough — a blunt message that tells us this is a strategic priority for the Chargers moving forward.
The phrase “put him in a better position” is a telling admission that the QB is not being given the platform to excel at full capacity due to protection shortcomings.
Despite injuries (e.g., left tackle Rashawn Slater’s patella tendon rupture) and personnel issues, the narrative is shifting from “just injuries” to “the unit must improve.”
Herbert’s attitude (“you’re going to get hit; you’ve got to be ready”) reflects resilience — but the goal isn’t just accepting the hits, it’s reducing them.
5. What to Watch Going Forward
Mekhi Becton: The Chargers’ offseason move to upgrade interior line play. Herbert called him “impressive” during practice.
Injury‑watch: Slater’s health, Joe Alt’s status, and other O‑line injuries will be crucial.
Sack and pressure numbers: If Herbert’s protection improves (fewer pressures/sacks), we’ll know changes are working.
Offensive play design: With better protection, more complex plays (long‑developing routes) should emerge; if not, the issue may also be schematic.
Herbert’s public comments: If in future he points specifically at protection vs. his own mistakes, that’ll be an indicator of internal trust and readiness to rely on the unit.