Los Angeles Chargers' Jim Harbaugh Makes Bold Hall Of Fame Claim For Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has never held back in his praise for former Oregon Ducks and current Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, but Harbaugh took it to another level in an interview on "The Rich Eisen Show"

"Woke up the other day and I said, 'Gotta get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. Must get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame,'" said Harbaugh. "It's just one of those things where you wake up and kind of like 3:30, 4:00 in the morning, and sometimes that's when your best ideas come. You kind of process that, and that would mean winning a couple Super Bowls. . . . So that's uh a worthy goal, and I think it's necessary that we get him surrounded with as many good football players to his level as possible."

Eisen then asked if Harbaugh has revealed his late night thoughts to Herbert, but the Chargers coach said that he had not yet told anyone about his Hall of Fame idea.

;Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference at The Bolt. — Jan 15, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference at The Bolt. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Justin's all about the team. He is not into any kind of accolades for himself, so he would kick me in the shins if I said that to him, but that's the challenge that I'm attacking," Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh's comments about the former Oregon Duck are not surprising to fans of Herbert. The Chargers quarterback is rarely found on social media, and he has made his avoidance of the spotlight quite clear. Still, as the face of an NFL franchise, Herbert is still a team guy, according to Harbaugh.

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Additionally, Eisen asked Harbaugh about film sessions with Herbert, and the Chargers coach responded with praise for Herbert's intelligence. While at Oregon, Herbert was a 4.0 student as a Biology major.

"I'm at a disadvantage intellectually, to start with. The way his mind works, I mean, he would be one of those chess players that could think eight, 10 moves ahead. And Shane Day is our quarterback coach. He does a phenomenal job, and so those those film sessions are Shane, the other quarterbacks, and Justin," said Harbaugh.

Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) jogs off the field during the game against the Houston Texans in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

"It's great because everybody's contributing and, Justin's taking everything in and processing. Every question is like, 'Oh yeah, I didn't think of that' or 'That's the exact right question.' He wants to be great, but not in a way that it's for his self promotion, but for his teammates," Harbaugh continued. "So there's nothing but respect at the highest level."

The Chargers added some playmakers in the 2025 NFL Draft, including North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris, and Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsen II. As Harbaugh notes, Herbert getting into the Hall of Fame will require team success in addition to individual success. Can Herbert lead the Chargers to the promised land?