Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh knows that the team around Justin Herbert needs to elevate their game if the Chargers want to achieve their postseason goals, and it’s something he was blunt about recently when speaking with the media.
“This is the truth, Justin Herbert’s biggest weakness is all of those that he’s counting on on offense — coaches, offensive line, playmakers, receivers, running backs — to get up to his level,” Harbaugh said.
“I wake up every day to try to get to his level. . . . I see him at the level, just the highest level as a quarterback. First five seasons, nobody’s thrown for more yards in the history of the NFL, and everything he does is, you just don’t change a thing, but whatever it is, conditioning, it’s too easy. Everything we do, we try to pull him back, because you never have to talk him into doing anything. He’s been in here every day.”
The group that needs to be better includes his backup quarterback, Trey Lance, whose number could be called at any moment during the regular season. According to one reporter, Lance will get the chance to show just how ready he is on Thursday.
“Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh announces Trey Lance will start the HOF game,” reported Alex Insdorf.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“I didn’t even know he was on the Chargers, lol. But since I don’t expect Herbert to play much, if at all, in any of the Chargers’ preseason games, I’d expect we’ll see a lot of all of the team’s backup QBs in those contests,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Did not have Justin Herbert getting benched in favor of Trey Lance on my bingo card. A new era in LA,” one fan added.
“He’s not a starting NFL QB like I thought he’d be but he’s still fun to watch run around and chuck up 50/50 balls. Take his over on rushing yards and interceptions,” someone else added.
It’ll be interesting to see how Lance does in his opportunity on Thursday.