I've said for weeks that the Los Angeles Chargers' best offseason signing was the hire of Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator.
Why? Because it gives Justin Herbert a coordinator who can get the best out of him, and when you have a quarterback as talented as Herbert, naturally, fireworks are expected.
Also, because of McDaniel's track record with quarterbacks, you could argue that Herbert presents McDaniel with a player who could easily be an MVP winner if in the right system.
And it appears I'm not the only one intrigued by the McDaniel-Herbert duo; Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer is as well.
“I’m really intrigued by the Mike McDaniel–Justin Herbert union in Los Angeles,” Breer wrote. “Here’s a list of the full-time starting QBs McDaniel has worked with in the NFL: Matt Schaub, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, Robert Griffin III, Brian Hoyer, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa.
"There are some really good players in there, and Ryan won an MVP in the years McDaniel was in Atlanta. But I think Herbert’s a different animal for him versus what he’s had at the position in the past.”
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What are expectations for Herbert with McDaniel?
Well, for one, Herbert hasn't thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season since 2022, and hasn't had 30 passing TDs since 2021.
I expect both of those thresholds to be met in 2026.
The turnovers were bad last season, as Herbert had 13 interceptions along with seven fumbles, so McDaniel will want to reel those in, but there's no denying there's an elite quarterback ready to be unlocked for McDaniel.
The question is, can he get the most out of Herbert? He did it with Tua, but as Breer wrote, Herbert is a different beast compared to Tua.
What the 2026 season holds for Chargers fans is fascinating, largely because it might finally be the year the handbrake is released, and we see Herbert becoming the type of quarterback many think he's destined to be.
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