The Los Angeles Chargers got off on the right foot with an important victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil, making the best possible debut in the 2025 NFL season. Quarterback Justin Herbert was key with a performance that included 318 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions against head coach Andy Reid’s team, a Super Bowl contender. However, it was Jim Harbaugh who pointed out a hit suffered by his star player.
Beating Reid’s Chiefs was the kind of statement win the Chargers needed to draw attention to their performance this season, with Herbert as the key piece of the offensive scheme. In that sense, it’s not only about highlighting the execution on the field, but also the physical toughness shown by the Los Angeles team.
Harbaugh specifically emphasized Herbert’s toughness in bouncing back from a hard hit when he was sacked by Kansas City’s Drue Tranquill. What looked like it could be a tough moment quickly turned around, as the Chargers’ quarterback recovered to complete a third-and-long pass that allowed his team to convert on fourth down and keep the drive alive.
Harbaugh’s comments on hit to Herbert
“That huge hit on Justin, the kind of hit that would have killed a lesser man. That’s how big that hit was. Let’s be honest about that. And then our guy, Justin Herbert, gets right back in the huddle and it’s third-and-14 and hits Quentin Johnston, which ended up being a half-yard short of the first down that allowed for that fourth down,” Harbaugh said, according to NBC Sports.
Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers
“I’ve been telling people Justin’s great, and again, exhibit whatever it is now, just unbelievable, incredible, the kind of player he is. It’s especially hard, I think — most quarterbacks, most human beings, to take a big hit and then the next play stand in there, look down the barrel of the gun and hit another one. It’s pretty impressive,” he added.
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The new test for the Chargers
Herbert and the Chargers will have to prove that the win over the Chiefs was no fluke and that they can go far this season. Harbaugh’s franchise will face a tough challenge when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders next Monday in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.
