No quarterback in NFL history has attempted more passes per game than Justin Herbert.
His mark of 39.1 over the last four seasons surpasses Andrew Luck, with Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford next on the list.
Now, Herbert is playing for a head coach and offensive coordinator who, since his arrival five months ago, has talked a lot about emphasizing the run game.
“Selfishly, as a quarterback, I would love to throw the ball every time,” Herbert said Thursday. “But whether we pitch once or 100 times, as long as we’re winning and finding a way to do it, that’s fine with me.”
After the chargers Wrapping up his three-day minicamp in Costa Mesa, Herbert met with local media for the first time since the team brought Jim Harbaugh It is Greg Romano.
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The new regime – including the general manager Joe Hortiz – first revamped the cast to try to become more powerful and physical. Roman then spent several weeks introducing an attack designed to operate from the ground up.
Chargers’ new additions include running backs Gus Edwardswhich is known for its downhill approach, and JK Dobbinswhose explosiveness resulted in a career per carry average of 5.8 yards.
“We don’t have pads, so you can’t really feel the impact of the run game right now,” Herbert said. “But you can taste the juice. They have energy. They bring it.”
The overall theme has been establishing a balance between running and passing, a clear departure from how the Chargers have played offensively since Herbert took over as starter in Week 2 of his rookie year.
“The way we install everything,” Herbert said, “we want to be able to do everything.”
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Except for the Chargers’ Week 14 loss to Denver last season — when Herbert left the game early with a finger injury — he has attempted at least 24 passes in each of his career starts.
Along the way, he set numerous franchise and league records and made the Pro Bowl in 2021. Herbert’s right arm has been celebrated like few others, Harbaugh just this week noting the speed he can generate.
But the Chargers are just 30-32 in Herbert’s games. They played one postseason game with him at quarterback and are riding a five-game winning streak that led to all the leadership changes.
Therefore, it is not difficult to believe Herbert when he says that winning is more meaningful to him, even joking that, when it comes to passing the ball, “the more, the merrier”.
In conversations with Roman, Herbert said the message has been to get the point guards involved, take care of the ball and — if the defense has a decided advantage or there is a risk of a turnover — “punting is not the worst-case scenario.”
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The offense’s ultimate goal, Herbert explained, is to produce completions, explosive plays and touchdowns, but the Chargers aren’t simply going to force the passing game.
Harbaugh spent 14 years in the NFL as a player, starting games at quarterback for Chicago, Indianapolis, Baltimore and the Chargers. Herbert said his head coach brings “great perspective” every time he attends quarterback meetings.
Likewise, Harbaugh spent several minutes during two recent sessions with the media praising everything from Herbert’s physical abilities to his mental ability to his overall leadership.
“No one in this organization has played quarterback at the high level that he has,” Harbaugh said. “There is an experience that has been extremely valuable.”
When the Chargers met on the field for the last time on Thursday before the summer break, Herbert was the player Harbaugh chose to address the group.
Herbert said he talked about the importance of not allowing the program’s offseason work to go to waste. He said he encouraged his teammates to remain diligent in preparing for training camp, which begins in late July.
“If we want to be the team we want to be, start now,” Herbert told reporters later. “It all starts when we are alone and have that level of loyalty, dedication and integrity.”
Safety Derwin James Jr., another of the Chargers’ recognized leaders, also spoke publicly for the first time in months on Thursday, saying the renewed atmosphere around the team “feels like Christmas.”
James called Harbaugh “the most powerful leader I’ve ever seen” and highlighted his ability to command a room just by walking through the door. Like several of his teammates this offseason, James said the atmosphere is different.
“Every year, you’ll feel like you’re the team to beat, like you’re going to the Super Bowl,” James said. “But this year feels right. … I can’t wait to play because I truly believe it will be special.”
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
