Is Chargers QB Justin Herbert Broken?

At what point do the excuses stop being good enough? The Los Angeles Chargers are now 0-5 after Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Denver Broncos and Justin Herbert is playing some of the worst football of his career. Another costly interception, a lost fumble and an offense that continues to find ways to lose games have turned what was supposed to be a promising season into an absolute nightmare.

The question has to be asked: Is Justin Herbert broken?

There are plenty of reasons to explain why the Chargers have struggled this season. The offensive line is a mess, the receiving corps has been dealing with injuries and Mike McDaniel’s offense has yet to look anything like what fans expected when he was hired. But at some point, Herbert has to take responsibility for his own performance.

Against Denver, Herbert completed just 14 of 24 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble during a disastrous fourth quarter that saw the Chargers surrender a lead and another winnable game. Herbert had a chance to help put the game away, but instead, the mistakes piled up and the Chargers walked away with another loss.

This is not the quarterback fans have grown accustomed to watching over the past several years.

Is It the Offensive Coordinator?

McDaniel deserves plenty of criticism. The offense has been inconsistent all season and there has been little evidence that the new system is helping Herbert play better football. The Chargers have struggled to sustain drives, generate explosive plays and put points on the board.

However, an offensive coordinator can only do so much. McDaniel is not the one throwing interceptions or fumbling the football. Herbert has to execute the plays and make better decisions when things break down.

Is It the Offensive Line and Receivers?

These are legitimate concerns. Losing starting tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater is a significant blow to any quarterback, especially one who has been under pressure far too often. Herbert was sacked five times against Denver and spent much of the afternoon operating behind a makeshift offensive line.

The receiving situation has not helped either. Ladd McConkey has been dealing with a foot injury and the Chargers have struggled to get their passing game going consistently.

Still, plenty of quarterbacks deal with injuries around them. Herbert is supposed to be the player who makes everyone else better, not someone whose performance completely falls apart when things aren’t going his way.

Is He Just Broken?

This is where things get concerning. Herbert has always had the arm talent, athleticism and ability to make plays that very few quarterbacks in the NFL can make. But right now, he looks like a quarterback who has lost his confidence. The mistakes are becoming routine and the offense has no answers when the pressure is on.

The Chargers are 0-5 for the first time since 2003. Herbert has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes through the first four games and Sunday’s performance only added to the frustration. Dating back to last season, he has now gone seven straight games with at least as many interceptions as touchdown passes.

That is not good enough for a quarterback who is supposed to be the face of the franchise.

Is Herbert actually broken? It is probably too early to make that declaration. The injuries around him are real and the coaching situation has done him no favors. Asking him to operate behind a makeshift offensive line without his full complement of receivers is a difficult situation for any quarterback.

But the bigger concern is that Herbert used to be the guy who could overcome those problems. Now, he looks like another part of the problem.

The Chargers still have time to turn things around, but the margin for error is shrinking by the week. Herbert needs to start playing better, McDaniel needs to find answers and the offensive line needs to give its quarterback a chance to succeed.

There is plenty of blame to go around, but Herbert is not exempt from it.

For years, Chargers fans have waited for Herbert to take that next step and establish himself among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. Instead, through five games, he has looked like a shell of the player everyone expected him to become.

Maybe the injuries and new system are taking their toll. Maybe the coaching staff is failing him. Or maybe Herbert is pressing so hard to fix everything that he is making things worse.

Whatever the answer is, the Chargers need to figure it out quickly. Because if this version of Justin Herbert is what they can expect moving forward, the problem in Los Angeles is much bigger than a bad start to the season.