Mike McDaniel’s Plans for Justin Herbert Should Turn Some Heads

Mike McDaniel had some interesting things to say about Chargers star Justin Herbert...and the QB's past offenses.

Mike McDaniel Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There’s a reason Mike McDaniel's joining the Los Angeles Chargers to work with Justin Herbert was one of the most-asked-for moves of the offseason so far.

Given the ho-hum overall hiring cycle around the NFL, it’s a move that could be classified as the best of the entire cycle, including all of the head-coaching developments. 

McDaniel, something of an offensive savant who has modernized and evolved Shanahan concepts and a pre-snap motion wave, has long been looked at as one of the guys who could take Herbert to the proverbial next step.

Now, he’s in Los Angeles and at his first Chargers press conference, sure talked like a guy about to do just that. 

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Mike McDaniel’s Justin Herbert comments sound encouraging 

the mindset pic.twitter.com/9E14cB7Wm7

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 27, 2026

McDaniel met with the media as a member of the Chargers for the first time on Tuesday and said some of the expected stuff. He’s excited to be in town, thrilled to work with Herbert, that type of coach-speak stuff. 

But also as expected, the new offensive coordinator really ramped up the value of the back-and-forth when asked to dive deeper into things. 

One major point: McDaniel admitted that while Herbert’s ability to put the team on his back and play hero ball is almost unrivaled, the presence of it at all means coaches rely on it far too much to find success. 

That’s a pretty big indictment of Greg Roman and other former Herbert coordinators. 

RELATED: Why Mike McDaniel chose Chargers over pursuing Bills interview hinted in update

So, how does McDaniel plan to reduce the number of hits Herbert suffers? The quick game, taking advantage of the defenses that need to adapt post-snap on the fly. 

“Take advantage of that space with quick throws,” McDaniel said. “One of the best blockers you can have is an open eligible No. 1 in a quick amount of time.”

More from McDaniel:

"There's schematic ways to get completions that maybe all three quarterbacks on your roster would be capable of doing...It can be taxing over time for a player to necessitate an incredible play too often to be able to score points and win football games."

a new voice on offense pic.twitter.com/a9F6UKRVuF

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 27, 2026

Herbert has been one of the most-hit quarterbacks in the NFL since he entered the league. Everyone has seen the Andrew Luck comparisons. Most know of the many injuries he’s played through, including a week after surgery on his non-throwing hand this year.

The good news? The Chargers already have some major weapons in place to help this along. Running back Omarion Hampton is an obviously talented presence. Ladd McConkey can create separation in a hurry at wideout. And Oronde Gadsden is a breakout big body at tight end. They invested a second-rounder in Tre Harris, too. 

Tack on some other possible upgrades this offseason, and McDaniel should be cooking up something special. It’s unfortunate how many coordinators and offenses Herbert has burned through to date, but this one, if he can grasp it and execute it well, could indeed have him hitting new heights.

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