Mike McDaniel's Jump to Justin Herbert, Chargers Still Dominating NFL Discussions

It’s hard not to fall in love with the idea of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert getting an offensive coordinator like Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel has been one of the foremost offensive minds in the NFL for a long time now. But it isn’t uncommon to hear suggestions that he’s never truly been able to unleash thanks to working with a quarterback like Justin Herbert.

Exiting his Tua Tagovailoa era, McDaniel now seems to get even more hype for what he might be able to do in terms of league trendsetting and overall production for a team like the Chargers.

Mike McDaniel’s fit with Justin Herbert steals attention

During and after Super Bowl week, McDaniel working with Herbert earned more attention than the Chargers usually receive on a national level.

ESPN’s Ben Solak, for example, raved about how much simpler things will be for Herbert.

"There's going to be a remarkable increase in easy buttons in the Chargers offense,” Solak said, according to Omar Navarro of Chargers.com. “The oneness on Herbert is going to drop dramatically, which is going to help him not hurt as much at the end of the season, run faster and more free, he's not going to feel tight and has to avoid the picks. The ceiling is the roof, I'm thrilled."

Simple isn't a bad thing.

In fact, one of McDaniel’s biggest points of emphasis in public appearances since joining the Chargers has focused on not asking Herbert to do so much.

It’s a theme The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia touched on, too.

"I don't think we know exactly what McDaniel's offense, what he wants it to look like. He was scheming around his personnel, which is what great coaches do, in Miami," Kapadia said, per Navarro. "Now, he can almost do whatever he wants. I think that makes sense, set up those easy buttons for him.”

Mike McDaniel said he’s talked with Justin Herbert: “We were both geeked for the future and the possibilities.”

McDaniel said Herbert hasn’t “neared the ceiling ” of what he’s capable of. pic.twitter.com/MMpAiwfQo5
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) January 27, 2026

Fair or not, one of the biggest criticisms of past Chargers offenses was the reliance on Herbert to go out and make a play, letting a little hero-ball carry the whole franchise.

That’s projected to dramatically reduce in a good way with McDaniel calling the shots in an offense that boasts Omarion Hampton, Oronde Gadsden, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, not to mention the NFL’s best offensive tackle duo.

The offseason of hype around McDaniel is only just getting started, too. The Chargers will make some obvious upgrades to the interior of the offensive line. McDaniel picking up some skill position weapons he wants in free agency and/or the draft will help, too.

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