Chargers' Jim Harbaugh blames everyone but Justin Herbert for QB's struggles

Harbaugh knows Herbert's surrounding cast needs to be better.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The one major knock against Justin Herbert in his career has been his lack of success in the playoffs. It also doesn't help that they're in a division with the Kansas City Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes being the epitome of playoff success in this generation. Herbert is 0-2 in the postseason, losing in 2022 and most recently last season.

Their Wild Card loss to the Texans was disappointing, mostly due to the lack of help Herbert had around him. Ladd McConkey, last year's breakout rookie, had 197 yards and one touchdown. The next leading receiver on the Chargers was Will Dissly with a measly 12 yards. Speaking of Dissly, he was responsible for tipping two of Herbert's four interceptions into the hands of Texans defenders.

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Herbert, who had just three interceptions during the regular season, wasn't able to overcome those unfortunate mishaps. Heading into 2025, the Los Angeles Chargers front office knew they needed some serious upgrades on offense.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh knows they need to be better for Herbert, players and coaches included:

Among concluding thoughts at Jim Harbaugh’s 25 minute, wild-ride news conference: “Justin’s biggest weakness is those around him that he's counting on offense. Us coaches, and players on offense. We got to get to Justin Herbert’s level.”

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) July 17, 2025

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On Thursday, veteran wideout Mike Williams announced his retirement, so that's one less weapon on the board for Herbert. However, rookie Tre Harris ended his holdout, so he'll be able to build rapport with Herbert this summer.

It's certainly an interesting time for the Chargers, who need to produce a playoff win immediately to silence the critics of their star quarterback.

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