Chargers face critical offseason to support Justin Herbert
The Los Angeles Chargers made a coaching change, and now they must figure out the best way to jumpstart a turnaround featuring Justin Herbert.
Justin Herbert is fantastic. Incredible. Perhaps one of the league’s next great quarterbacks.
As a rookie, Herbert started the final 15 games of the regular season and threw for 4,336 yards with 31 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. Yet his Los Angeles Chargers began the season 3-9 before finishing on a high note, winning their last four tilts.
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However, it wasn’t enough to save head coach Anthony Lynn’s job. He has been replaced by former Los Angeles Rams coordinator Brandon Staley, who has only been in the NFL for four seasons. To run the offense, Staley hired Joe Lombardi, who previously held this role with the Detroit Lions from 2014-15.
In 2014, Lombardi’s only full season in the seat (he was fired at 1-6 the following year), the Lions ranked 19th in yardage and 22nd in points. Yet Herbert, despite the question marks about Staley and Lombardi, is excited about the change, per ESPN:
“It would be great to have one playbook throughout your career, but it’s not going to always happen like that. I think it’s a great opportunity to learn. You always learn from each playbook. I think you have a great understanding of the game of football the more you go through it. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from so many different guys and philosophies, and I think that’s helped my game. Hopefully, this is the last change that I’ll go through because I really believe in those two guys.”
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Now, general manager Tom Telesco must help Herbert along. The Chargers have their quarterback and believe they’ve upgraded the coaching. It’s on Telesco to continue making improvements along the offensive line while retaining some of his best talent, including pending free agents tight end Hunter Henry and edge rusher Melvin Ingram.
Los Angeles finished third in the AFC West and while catching the two-time AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs could be a tall order in 2021, usurping the Las Vegas Raiders isn’t out of the question. Hell, it ought to be the goal from the start of OTAs, virtual or not.
In recent years, the Chargers have been a forgotten franchise mired in losing ways. Now, they have the ultimate hope in a young, excellent quarterback. Time to build the rest of the team up around him.
