The Los Angeles Chargers made a statement in 2024. After years of underwhelming finishes, the team finally took a major step forward, finishing 11-6 in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach. It was their best win total since 2018, when they went 12-4 under Anthony Lynn. While they ultimately lost to the Houston Texans in the playoffs, the Chargers proved they are a team on the rise.
Much of their success has been driven by quarterback Justin Herbert, who looked comfortable in Harbaugh’s system, particularly in the second half of the season. The Chargers had the NFL’s fourth-best defense in PFSN’s Defense+ metric while also boasting the 17th-ranked offense in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Now, Harbaugh is raving about his quarterback and turning heads with his comments.
Jim Harbaugh Offers Bold Praise for Justin Herbert
Harbaugh has never been one to hold back his opinions, and his belief in Herbert is already making headlines.
In a recent interview at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Chargers head coach raved about his franchise quarterback and made a bold claim about his place in history.
“It’s like being around greatness every single day,” Harbaugh told PFT Live. “I would follow him to hell and back. I’ve never been around a competitor quite like him. Some great ones, but, you know, [there’s] no doubt in my mind that Justin Herbert is not only one of the great quarterbacks in the NFL today but truly one of the great quarterbacks of all time.”
That’s a bold claim for a quarterback who, to this point, hasn’t had a 40-touchdown season or won a playoff game. Herbert has certainly put up great numbers in his career so far, but labeling him as one of the greatest ever is a massive endorsement from a coach who has worked with elite talent.
Herbert finished the 2024 regular season with 4,176 yards total, 25 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. His PFSN QB+ rating of 78.5 (C+) ranked 14th in the NFL and reflected solid production but not necessarily the historic level of play his coach believes he is capable of. Harbaugh’s confidence in Herbert is clear, and he believes this is just the beginning for the ascending quarterback.
Harbaugh’s History With Elite-Level QBs
Harbaugh knows quarterback talent when he sees it. As an NFL head coach, he played a major role in the rise of Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers, helping lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance. At the college level, he worked with Andrew Luck at Stanford and helped J.J. McCarthy develop into a first-round pick at Michigan.
But Herbert represents his best opportunity to coach an elite NFL quarterback for the long haul. He’s got the size, arm strength, and intelligence that Harbaugh values. And with the Chargers finally building a more complete team around him, the expectations will be sky-high heading into 2025.
With Harbaugh at the helm, L.A. is expected to contend for the AFC West crown and make a deep playoff run. The pressure is on, and if Herbert wants to validate his coach’s belief, he’ll need to take the next step forward in his career.
Calling him one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is premature, to say the least, but if Harbaugh is right, this could be the season Herbert finally makes that big leap.