After the national anthem ended, Harbaugh slapped Herbert’s shoulder pads with his hands. Herbert, unprepared, tried to run to hug him, but Harbaugh persisted in the barrage of slaps and punches to Herbert’s pads.
The pad hits come from Harbaugh’s 14 years of playing, a tip he learned from Bears teammate and Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton to distract his nerves. Harbaugh has persisted in that ritual each and every game, and Herbert’s willingness to participate surprised some players.
“Justin has always hated cameras and things where he’s the center of attention,” said Rashawn Slater, “but I see him smile when [Harbaugh] “He does it, so I think it must be a sign that he really respects the coach.”
One of the crucial features of Harbaugh’s coaching tenure has been his relationship with the quarterbacks he coached. From Josh Johnson at the University of San Diego to Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh has helped elevate his teams’ quarterbacks. But her relationship with Herbert is different. Harbaugh has been enamored with Herbert, 26, since he agreed to the process, raving about Herbert’s size, prudence or even his clothing.
Herbert, normally reserved and deviating from the family message, seems to have stepped out of his relief zone to play Harbaugh.
“He’s a guy that everyone wants to follow and play with,” Herbert said.
It’s a relationship that will be the most important for a Chargers franchise hoping to compete for the team’s first Super Bowl behind Harbaugh and Herbert. The effects on the field have fluctuated over six weeks, with Herbert posting lows in nearly every passing division and holding the Chargers up 3-2 heading into “Monday Night Football” against the Arizona Cardinals (8:45 pm ET, ESPN+). .
“It’s kind of a bromance,” tight end Hayden Hurst said. “I think Jim really wants to emulate Justin. He has all the physical traits that Jim said he doesn’t have, so it’s kind of fun. I think they complement each other well.”
Like many players, Herbert regularly high-fives his teammates and slaps their helmets when they leave the ground after big plays. But Harbaugh told Herbert earlier this season that that ritual had to end.
“He said no with his right hand,” Herbert said. “I can give you a high five with my left hand.”
Harbaugh needs Herbert to offer protection to the franchise’s most valuable hand. A broken right index finger ended Herbert’s Presen 14 season last year, and the Chargers didn’t win in that span, so Harbaugh’s best judgment is tone. However, that interaction certainly made outside linebacker Joey Bosa jealous.
“What about me? My fingers are already so mangled. It doesn’t even matter,” Bosa joked. “But not, [Harbaugh] “He treats him like he should treat him and I think it’s fun to see their relationship.”
That relationship can often seem like Harbaugh imitates Herbert in the same way a younger brother would imitate a used one. Harbaugh stated that he needs to be Herbert’s best friend and that “if you don’t like him, you don’t love, Justin Herbert, something’s wrong with you.”
At the same news conference, Harbaugh said he had started wearing the same Nike shoes as Herbert, and asked the team’s staff to get him a pair of “those Justin Herbert shoes.” He took a step to the left of the stand to turn the hounds into the white and dark shoes.
That surprise extends to other outfields, such as at a team meeting earlier this season when Herbert began doing calf raises and Harbaugh adopted the suit. “Jim looked him up and down and started doing calf raises too,” Hurst claimed while laughing hysterically.
Harbaugh played quarterback for 14 years in the NFL, but never had Herbert’s passing ability; It’s one of the crucial reasons why he respects Herbert. Harbaugh told Newshounds that if he had the amount of genes needed to interact with Herbert during his pro career, Herbert’s arm ability could be at the top of the list. Harbaugh also once said he started coaching more quarterbacks Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke because Herbert is “irreplicable.”
On the field, the connection hasn’t brought great luck for Herbert. Truth be told, Herbert is off to the worst statistical start of his career. Despite Harbaugh’s affection for Herbert, offensive coordinator Greg Roman has hired Herbert without any previous teachers.
“If we throw 500 or 50 times, we just have to run it like an offense,” Herbert said. “Selfishly, I love throwing the ball, but I want this offense to be the best we can be and that changes from week to week.”
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Through six games, Herbert has career lows in passing yards (815), attempts (125) and completions (80). Part of his statistical decline could be attributed to Herbert dealing with a sprained right ankle since Appearance 2 this season, but the offense hasn’t leaned toward Herbert like coordinators have in years past. He entered this season averaging the most pass attempts per game in NFL history (39.1).
The offensive strategy changed, however, in the Chargers’ victory in Presen 6 over the Denver Broncos.
Herbert looked like his aging self, completing season highs in passing yards (237), completions (21) and attempts (34) in the touchdown-throw era.
“Hopefully this reminds everyone that Justin Herbert is really good at playing quarterback,” Harbaugh said.
It was every other event Harbaugh often used a news convention to accompany Herbert, a way he has used his entire career to build confidence in his quarterbacks.
At league conferences in March, there were many topics that Harbaugh had to address publicly for the first time since the training process began; The leader among them was the verdict of veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen.
But that week, Harbaugh made a splash with his selection of quarterback JJ McCarthy, who played under Harbaugh at the University of Michigan and was expected to be a first-round pick. Harbaugh called McCarthy the best quarterback in the draft and said McCarthy had the best career throwing week he’s ever seen.
The Harbaugh family’s infatuation with McCarthy raised questions about whether Harbaugh would be interested in signing Herbert, and some teams approached the Chargers about business. Those screams were temporarily filmed: I’m sick by General Supervisor Joe Hortiz, who already knew more than anyone how much Harbaugh admired Herbert.
Since he began as a senior lecturer twenty years ago at the University of San Diego, Harbaugh’s vocal surprise for the quarterbacks who have played for him has been instinctive. That was noticeable much later, he had to briefly miss the Chargers’ Presen 6 game against the Denver Broncos with an abnormal heartbeat. After the game, Harbaugh reflected in the final moment that he felt a similar discomfort, which he said used to be during a 2012 game when he coached the San Francisco 49ers. He temporarily talked about quarterback Colin Kaepernick. “Colin had a great night that night,” he said as an aside before describing a clinical process he had after that game.
In Harbaugh’s second season at USD, he started with quarterback Josh Johnson, a sophomore from Oakland, California, who was unsure of his football era. Harbaugh modified that.
Johnson had one of the best careers in Toreros history. He still has academic data on occupational power rating (176.7), final touch percentage (.679) and landing passes in a season (43). Johnson has played in the NFL since 2008 and is now a Batimore Raven playing for Jim’s brother, John Harbaugh. Johnson attributes his long experience in the NFL to the affection of Jim Harbaugh.
“It was life-changing for me to play for him,” Johnson said. “He gave me a lot of confidence. He was the first person who told me, with conviction, ‘You’re going to play in the NFL.’ Even before I believed it, he believed it.”
Harbaugh’s constant family message is combined with a loving and patient approach to training placement, which players say is abnormal. It’s been a unique experience for Chargers quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who has been with the team for less than two months. He was surprised by Harbaugh’s somewhat calm attitude toward mistakes, juxtaposing it with his experience playing under Norv Turner, the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers when Heinicke played both spots.
Heinicke said Turner is one of his favorite coaches of all time, but he was “terrified” of Turner because of the way he disciplined him and other quarterbacks for making mistakes. “I still have some nightmares about him,” Heinicke said.
“Harbaugh is definitely more encouraging than other guys I’ve been around,” he said.
It was a similar experience for quarterback Easton Stick, who has been with the Chargers since 2019, backing up Herbert through three other coaches. Stick said Harbaugh’s experience playing quarterback sets his path, making him a more patient person than other coaches.
However, Heinicke and Stick said Harbaugh’s treatment and courtship are special with Herbert.
“There’s definitely a love and respect that’s pretty unique,” Stick said with a smile.
NFL reporter Jamison Hensley contributed to this article.
