Justin Herbert missed two full weeks of the Los Angeles Chargers OTAs to join his girlfriend and pop star Madison Beer for the opening of her “Locket Tour” in Kraków, Poland. He was spotted at her shows across Europe before returning to the team facility on May 27.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh played it cool and told reporters he was “happy” that Herbert took the time to support Beer. However, Skip Bayless wasn’t buying Harbaugh’s comments about the star quarterback’s decision.
Skip Bayless Questions Justin Herbert’s Decision to Skip OTAs
Bayless went after Herbert on “The Arena” and argued that Harbaugh’s public support was nothing more than damage control for a franchise quarterback who hasn’t performed in the biggest games.
“He’s just trying to defuse a threatening situation,” Bayless said about Harbaugh. “You’re a franchise quarterback who has proven absolutely nothing in the National Football League, he’s 0-3 in playoff games, and he’s stunk in all three playoff games, just took two weeks off to go be with her at the opening of her concert tour in Poland. And you’re happy about it. No, you’re not happy about it at all.”
“You have a brand new offensive coordinator who’s very different than anything you’ve ever had in Mike McDaniel,” he added. Bayless then said Herbert should have been at the OTAs to develop chemistry with rookie wideout Brenen Thompson.
The Chargers drafted Thompson, who had a 4.26 40-yard dash time, in the fourth round. He and McDaniel represent a significant schematic shift, and Bayless argued that Phase 2 was the window to start building chemistry.
“So all of this screamed you need to be there for phase two of OTAs. He missed the entire phase two,” Bayless continued. “And as I said, 0-3 in the playoffs with two touchdowns to four interceptions and a lost fumble… So he has been pathetic in all three playoff games.”
Bayless also indicated that Beer could become a target if Herbert struggles early in the season, as teammates and the media would blame her for being a distraction to the quarterback.
The most concerning part of the Herbert conversation is that his performances in the regular season warrant him being called an elite quarterback. Across six NFL seasons, Herbert has thrown for 24,820 yards, 163 touchdowns, and 58 interceptions.
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According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, here’s how he has performed in every season of his career so far:
- 2020: 80.0 impact score, ranked 15th in the league.
- 2021: 86.5 impact score, ranked 4th in the league.
- 2022: 76.8 impact score, ranked 14th in the league.
- 2023: 76.6 impact score, ranked 14th in the league.
- 2024: 79.0 impact score, ranked 12th in the league.
- 2025: 79.4 impact score, ranked 11th in the league.
By almost any measure, he has been one of the better quarterbacks in football since being drafted sixth overall in 2020. However, his playoff performances have been disappointing.
The 27-0 collapse against Jacksonville, the four-interception disaster in Houston, and the 16-3 loss to New England last season mean that Herbert still has a lot left to prove in the league.
Harbaugh and the Chargers have built a roster capable of winning the Super Bowl. Anything less than a division title and at least one postseason win next season would be a failure for the team and for Herbert. It will be interesting to see whether the 28-year-old quarterback’s two weeks in Europe will affect the team’s season.
