Former Oregon Ducks star Justin Herbert could see some big changes with the Los Angeles Chargers next season.
Oregon Ducks legend Justin Herbert has certainly proven that he is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, but his inability to get the Los Angeles Chargers over the hump has resulted in incessant criticism.
For as talented as Herbert is, he is still yet to win a playoff game since entering the pros in 2020, and in three postseason games, he has thrown two touchdowns and four interceptions while completing just 54.7 percent of his passes.
It hasn't been pretty for the Oregon product, but new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is planning on making things much easier for Herbert in 2026.
"There's a lot of incredible plays Justin has made," McDaniel told reporters. "He's firmly capable, and sometimes, as a coach, you can rely upon that a little too much."
In other words, McDaniel wants to alleviate some of the pressure on Herbert and get back to the basics.
"There's schematic ways to get completions that maybe all three quarterbacks on your roster would be capable of doing," McDaniel said. "... It can be taxing over time for a player to necessitate an incredible play too often to be able to score points and win football games."
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images.No one has ever doubted Herbert's arm talent, but it's clear that there is a heavy burden on his shoulders that is negatively impacting him in big moments.
"So you try to take it off of him by creating some low-cost, high-reward offense that he's firmly capable of doing, but maybe a player of lesser talent would be capable of doing as well," McDaniel added.
Herbert threw for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 66.4 percent of his passes and posting a 94.1 passer rating in 2025. He was also sacked 54 times on the year, which is not surprising considering his two starting tackles were both sidelined.
The 27-year-old spent four years at Oregon between 2016 and 2019, totaling 95 passing touchdowns and 23 picks throughout his time with the Ducks.
Herbert was then selected by Los Angeles with the sixth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft and has gone on to notch a pair of Pro Bowl appearances, with one of them coming this year.
We'll see if Herbert can finally exorcise his playoff demons next season.
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