If there is one team generating plenty of excitement heading into this 2026 NFL season, it is undoubtedly the Los Angeles Chargers. Much of that is thanks to Justin Herbert, an elite quarterback who, according to Jim Harbaugh, has all the potential to become one of the greatest players at his position in history.
“Allow me to call my shot, like Babe Ruth pointing his bat over to centerfield: Justin Herbert, when it’s all said and done, when his career comes to an end, I predict he will be known as the greatest, best ever to play the position of quarterback,” the head coach said on The White House with Michael Irvin.
Harbaugh also added: “When it’s all said and done, and his career is finished, we’re going to look back and say, ‘Yep, that’s the best that ever did it.’” It is clear that the coaching staff’s confidence in their star quarterback remains intact. The only question now is whether Herbert can ultimately back it up on the field.
Herbert’s numbers since entering the NFL
Since landing in the NFL as the Chargers‘ 6th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, Justin Herbert has been an absolute absolute gun thrower. Through six seasons, he’s already racked up 24,820 passing yards, 163 touchdowns, and 58 interceptions with a crisp 66.5% completion rate.
Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers speaks to head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Statistically, his pinnacle single-game masterpiece came in Week 5 of the 2021 season against the Cleveland Browns: in a wild 47-42 shootout victory, Herbert put on a clinic, throwing for 398 passing yards and 4 touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. That same year, he dropped his best overall season to date, lighting up defenses for 5,014 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, cementing his place as one of the premier arm talents in the league.
Harbaugh and the Chargers’ first challenges of 2026
Jim Harbaugh’s squad is gearing up for a physical five-game gauntlet to set the tone for their season. They open up with back-to-back home games at SoFi Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals and a division rivalry clash with the Las Vegas Raiders.
After that warm-up at home, things get extremely physical on the road with back-to-back trips to face the Buffalo Bills and the Seattle Seahawks at two of the league’s toughest venues. They close out this opening stretch back in LA with another high-stakes AFC West matchup against the Denver Broncos before heading into their early divisional battle with Kansas City Chiefs.
