Why Sam Monson Chose Justin Herbert Over Stafford and Maye for NFL MVP
Former Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski sends message to Chargers about Justin Herbert 1
Rob Gronkowski joined Kay Adams on “Up & Adams” this week, in a segment the show posted on Wednesday, and offered his explanation for Justin Herbert’s struggles. The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-4 after Sunday’s 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and Gronkowski pinned the blame on the offense Herbert is being asked to run.
“I just feel like that scheme isn’t the right fit for Justin Herbert,” Gronkowski said. “He’s moving all over the place, I feel like he just needs to zing the ball. He has an unbelievable arm, he’s got power, he’s got accuracy. I think there’s just too much overthinking there, there’s too much complication. I would say just keep him as a pocket quarterback, a shotgun quarterback and keep it simple for him.”
The target of that criticism is Mike McDaniel, in his first season as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator, and the early returns give Gronkowski plenty to point at. Los Angeles ranks 28th in scoring at 16.8 points per game, Herbert’s 28.0 QBR is the second-worst in the league, and his six interceptions already match half of his total from all of last season.
Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert
Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a pass during the third quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Chargers’ pass-block win rate through four games sits at 13%, the lowest in the 10 years ESPN has tracked the metric. Herbert has been sacked 12 times, tied for the second-most in the NFL, including four against Seattle. Those numbers complicate Gronkowski’s call to keep Herbert in the pocket.
🚨Former Patriots Rob Gronkowski says he believes that Chargers Justin Herbert is in the wrong system for skill set https://t.co/sfd6l9ikBy
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) October 8, 2026
Does a simpler scheme fix what is wrong with Herbert?
A quarterback behind the worst-protecting line in a decade of tracking has little time to set his feet and zing the ball, however simple the call sheet looks. The movement Gronkowski described is what a collapsing pocket produces, and keeping Herbert in the shotgun does nothing about rushers arriving before the ball can come out.
McDaniel addressed the criticism directly this week and pointed at the transition Herbert is going through.
“I would be foolish, or I would feel entitled, if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment,” McDaniel said.
He also attributed the interceptions to a mix of his own poor play calls and Herbert pressing to make plays, and he argued that judging Herbert four games into a new system with new coaches and new teammates would be inaccurate. McDaniel pointed to the second half in Seattle, which followed a first half in which Herbert went 5-of-14 for 36 yards with two interceptions.
“Really, really played the best, most competitive football that I’ve been around him for,” McDaniel said.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh shut down any talk of a change after the Seattle loss.
“No, his job is not in jeopardy,” Harbaugh said of McDaniel. “He’s a skilled coach and we’re going to keep growing.”
Gronkowski is right that something about this offense is failing Herbert, and McDaniel admitted as much with his own play-calling.
Gronkowski’s fix proposition starts in the wrong place, because a simpler playbook leaves the same five blockers losing the same reps. Until the Chargers win more than 13% of those reps, the pocket he wants Herbert to live in will not exist long enough for him to use it.
The Chargers have turned the ball over 10 times in four games, six interceptions and four fumbles, including Herbert’s lost fumble on the final drive in Seattle. McDaniel has to move that first, and it starts up front.