Mike McDaniel’s Arrival Should Have More People Talking About a Justin Herbert MVP

Mike McDaniel's offense could have Chargers QB Justin Herbert at the very top of the NFL.

Mike McDaniel | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s getting largely overlooked on the national scene for bigger talking points, but the Los Angeles Chargers left their traditional comfort zone and got super aggressive with the move to hire Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. 

McDaniel’s arrival could have Justin Herbert reaching for an MVP trophy alongside a deep playoff push. 

It’s easier to focus on what the Chargers didn’t do with their mountain of cap space. There was no A.J. Brown trade. No major blockbuster trade for George Pickens.

Just a complete revamp of the offense for McDaniel along the offensive line, plus additions at tight end, running back and even fullback. 

Which is telling, really. The all-in move was McDaniel, a dramatic shift away from the norm for Jim Harbaugh, who had relentlessly pounded the table for good friend Greg Roman. 

Those times are over. And a Herbert MVP could follow. 

NFL MVP talk needs to include Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Herbert was briefly in the MVP discussion last year because of that one single vote he got that caused some drama. 

And it still makes sense. Herbert played through injury behind the league’s worst interior offensive line, without both starting tackles and a miserable Roman-coordinated offense, yet still almost swept the AFC West on the way to the playoffs while throwing for 3,727 yards and 26 scores over 16 games. Oh, he ran more than ever as a pro, too. 

There’s a reason analysts such as Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton have started to rank Herbert in the top two of first-time MVP candidates for 2026. 

“McDaniel can expand his playbook with Herbert, who's more mobile and has a stronger arm than Tagovailoa,” Moton wrote. “His play-calling could help the Chargers' star quarterback reach an MVP level.”

Speaking of Tua Tagovailoa, McDaniel helped that embattled quarterback throw for 4,600-plus yards and 29 scores at his peak before the wheels came off the ride. Herbert has always been better and with more upside. 

Now, McDaniel gets to roll out his offense with Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, running back Omarion Hampton and tight end Oronde Gadsden with a line topped by tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. 

Merely playing in a modern offense, instead of a predictable run-based one, will help Herbert. Playing in a McDaniel offense, though, should have him at the forefront of all MVP talks. 

The Chargers will take just getting over the hump in the Harbaugh era with a playoff win. But the two things tend to go hand-in-hand. Wondering what Herbert might be able to do with a mind like McDaniel at the controls is no longer a what if? thing.

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