In his second season as San Francisco’s coach, Jim Harbaugh got the 49ers to the Super Bowl. While that’s a big ask of the Chargers, especially for a club that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2018, it’s reasonable to predict his team will do as well or better than last year’s 11-6 finish.
A big question: Is Justin Herbert an elite quarterback? His coach certainly thinks so. “I woke up the other day and said, ‘Gotta get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. ... That would mean winning a couple Super Bowls,’” Harbaugh said on “The Rich Eisen Show” this offseason. “A lot of people would benefit from that. That’s a worthy goal.”
It’s a lofty ambition, especially considering Herbert has yet to win a playoff game. The 6-foot-6 passer, entering his sixth NFL season, has another chance to translate his talent into postseason results. He threw only three interceptions during the regular season, but tossed four in the playoff loss to Houston, including his first pick-six in 46 games.
The challenge just got tougher. Ten days after signing left tackle Rashawn Slater to a historic deal for offensive linemen, the Chargers lost him for the season to a knee injury. That leaves Herbert’s blind side in the hands of rookie Joe Alt.
It’s a crowded AFC quarterback field with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. The question is whether Herbert can finally join that top tier.