Chargers' Jim Harbaugh under fire for wrongly blaming players for struggles

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has developed a sort of reputation over the last year or so of having a sort of offensive line blindness.

Based on his comments in the aftermath of the win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Harbaugh’s not going to beat the allegations anytime soon.

It was painfully clear to a primetime audience that Justin Herbert’s offensive line failed him in a big way. Playing just one week removed from surgery on his broken non-throwing hand. Herbert consistently faced free rushers and took unnecessary hits in quickly collapsing pockets.

Not only was Herbert sacked seven times, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the Chargers offensive line finished last in the NFL in pass block win rate last week at 53.9 percent. Right guard Mekhi Becton was the biggest culprit, finishing as the 52nd-ranked at guard.

One more extra tidbit for fun: Herbert needed to lead the team in rushing, too, carrying the ball 10 times for 66 yards and further exposing himself to injury.

Asked about the issues, though? Harbayugh went a different route.

Jim Harbaugh’s comments about Chargers pass-blocking turn heads

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Harbaugh said the communication while struggling with A-gap pressures "wasn't perfect."

"We can do a better job at that running back position, and we will, of getting that picked up," Harbaugh said, according to Popper.

Here's how each lineman graded at their position in PBWR:

LT Jamaree Salyer (9th)
RT Bobby Hart (48th)
LG Zion Johnson (42nd)
RG Mekhi Becton (52nd)
C Bradley Bozeman (18th)
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) December 10, 2025

Now, in Harbaugh’s defense, when talking about pressures allowed up the middle, the running back could certainly be making a mistake. And Herbert himself could be at fault for calling the wrong shifts, etc.

But it has been plain as day for more than a year now that the team-captained center Bradley Bozeman is a sour point for the unit. And through this past week, big free-agent signing Mekhi Becton has been a major bust.

Nothing can prepare a team for losing Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt at the tackle spots, which is likely having some impact here, too. But the Chargers didn’t do enough to upgrade the interior this past offseason and seeing coaches assign blame everywhere but the problem area is, in a word, odd.

Ahhhhhh yes. It’s the RB’s fault that free blitzers were shooting through the A-gap while Bradley Bozeman was blocking air like he was shadow-boxing ghosts. Got it
— Ryan DePaul (@RyanDePaul) December 10, 2025

He's not wrong that the RBs need to get it right too. But also: https://t.co/Lx2GpNE9EW pic.twitter.com/GaCgvUmOYx
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) December 10, 2025

When you get a chance to blame the running back who hasn't played in 2 months over the IOL you have to take it https://t.co/emkDdQfxd8
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) December 10, 2025

Never going to be a championship level team with this OL and Roman. To call out the RB is pathetic. This is the Harbaugh ceiling (unfortunately).
— Paul Gillen (@pag24pistol) December 10, 2025

Jim Harbaugh gotta be a masochist because there’s no way you love your qb this much yet allow him to die behind THIS https://t.co/VEjUm7xcO4 pic.twitter.com/crVcrKJ0YO
— BENCH BRADLEY BOZEMAN, FIRE DEVLIN, ROMAN (@LMDoobert21) December 10, 2025

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