The Chargers have hired Greg Roman as OC. He joins new HC Jim Harbaugh to lead a coaching staff with a run-heavy background. Roman has spent 10 years as an NFL OC with the 49ers (2011-14), Bills (2015-16), and Ravens (2019-22). Nine of those offenses ranked 28th or lower in pass attempts. All 10 ranked among the top 9 in rush attempts, including seven years inside the top 3. It's important to note the starting QBs for those teams. San Francisco (with Harbaugh as HC) transitioned from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick midway through 2012. Tyrod Taylor started for those Buffalo teams. And Lamar Jackson was the guy for Roman's full Baltimore run. Justin Herbert is clearly less of a runner than any of those guys and (arguably?) the best passer of the bunch. We wouldn't bet on the new Chargers going as run-heavy as all those previous offenses, but we have to expect more rushing lean than in the past few seasons. L.A. has finished three straight years with rush rates lower than 40%, ranking among the league's most pass-leaning teams. Roman's QBs have tended to pass efficiently. Smith, Kaepernick, and Taylor all posted better net yards per pass attempt under Roman than without him. And Jackson's hyper-efficient 2019 came in Roman's Baltimore debut. The Chargers have a lot more to sort through this offseason before we'll really know what the offense will look like. For now, though, we're lowering the expectation at least a bit for Chargers passing numbers. That said, Justin Herbert already sits just 10th among QBs in Underdog ADP. Feel free to take shots on him at that level, and know that he still carries upside beyond that.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Chargers have reached an agreement with Jim Harbaugh to become their new head coach. Harbaugh, who has coached the University of Michigan's football team since 2015, was last employed in the professional ranks with the San Francisco 49ers between 2011-14. He guided the 49ers to three straight NFC Championship appearances and one Super Bowl loss across those four years. This is undoubtedly a massive addition for a Chargers' offense that ranked 18th in total offense in 2023. Harbaugh's background (15 years as an NFL QB) and track record of success should bode well for the prospects of QB Justin Herbert and company. We'll be sure to follow any other significant changes coming in Los Angeles, including who becomes their next general manager, but their circumstances are starting to look up now with Harbaugh in the fold following a disappointing 5-12 season.
On Friday, multiple reports indicated that the Chargers have parted ways with HC Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco. This news doesn't come as much of a surprise following the team's 63-21 collapse vs. the Raiders on Thursday night. Across nearly three full seasons on the job, Staley finished with a 24-24 record and appeared in just one playoff game. Who will take over as the interim coach is not known as of the time of this writing. Stay tuned for further updates.
Update: The Chargers have named Giff Smith interim HC and JoJo Wooden as interim GM, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smith has been the team's outside LBs coach the past two years and was an NFL defensive line coach for 11 seasons before that. It looks like OC Kellen Moore will remain with the Chargers at least for the rest of this season.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert's rehab from surgery to his fractured right index finger is expected to take six weeks, according to Prime TV's Kaylee Hartung. HC Brandon Staley told Hartung that there are no long-term concerns for Herbert. The injury shouldn't impact his 2024 offseason. Herbert figures to be playing for a new coaching staff next season, and we'll see if WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are back. Both guys are signed for 2024 but have massive cap hits.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert will miss the rest of the season after fracturing the index finger in his right (throwing) hand, according to multiple reports. That leaves fifth-year QB Easton Stick to pilot the offense over the final four games. Stick has been with the Chargers since they drafted him in Round 5 back in 2019, but he had attempted just one regular season pass before Sunday. Stick went a forgettable 13 of 24 passing for 179 yards after taking over against the Broncos, throwing no TDs or INTs but fumbling twice (losing one). His 2023 preseason also proved unimpressive, including a 60.3% completion rate, 5.2 yards per pass attempt, 1 TD, 2 INTs, and a 9.0% sack rate. The QB situation obviously downgrades everyone on the Chargers' offense. WR Keenan Allen should remain usable. Stick targeted Allen on 37.5% of his attempts against Denver. He threw another 20.8% toward RB Austin Ekeler, the only other Chargers offensive piece you should still consider using. WRs Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer and TE Gerald Everett look droppable for other options. Herbert should have plenty of time to recover ahead of the 2024 season.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert is "very likely" to undergo surgery to repair his fractured right index finger on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That surgery will determine whether Herbert has a chance to play again this season. HC Brandon Staley said Monday that Herbert's long-term outlook will take precedence over his short-term availability for the 5-8 Chargers. We're not expecting to see Herbert on the field again this season, but we'll update his status when we know more.
ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Chargers QB Justin Herbert (finger) is not expected to play vs. the Raiders on Thursday night. Herbert is consulting with Dr. Steven Shin to determine exactly how long he'll be sidelined with his fractured right index finger, Schefter adds. We should get a timeline for Herbert's return within the next 24 hours. QB Easton Stick will start on Thursday night -- and likely beyond.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert fractured his right index finger in Sunday's loss to the Broncos, HC Brandon Staley said afterward. "Given where we are in the season, a fracture could mean his season is over," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted. We should get more details on Herbert's status on Monday, but the 5-8 Chargers have no reason to rush Herbert back. QB Easton Stick will take over for however long Herbert is out. The 2019 fifth-round pick had one regular-season pass attempt before going 13-of-24 for 179 yards in relief of Herbert today. Stick is obviously a significant downgrade for this Chargers offense.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert injured his right index finger in the second quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. He's officially questionable to return. We'll update Herbert's status when we know more. He's been replaced by QB Easton Stick.
Update: Herbert has been ruled out.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert managed only 212 yards in Sunday's 6-0 win over New England. He went without a passing TD for the second time this season. A few key drops hurt Herbert’s numbers, as the Chargers offense continued to provide little help. The Pats even limited Keenan Allen to 5 catches for 58 yards on 9 targets. Herbert will likely remain a QB1 for upcoming matchups vs. Denver and Vegas, but there’s clearly a low floor here.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert completed 16 of 30 passes for 126 yards with 0 TDs or INTs in Week 9’s victory over the Jets. He also added 17 rushing yards in the contest, but Herbert’s 7.1 fantasy points on Monday night are firmly his lowest in a game this season. Herbert being sacked five times doesn’t help matters either. Fantasy managers should expect him to be able to return much better production than this for the rest of the season, but don’t get too excited. The Chargers’ remaining schedule ranks fifth-hardest for QBs in adjusted fantasy points allowed. Don’t take this as an “abandon ship” warning for Herbert, though. Two of those remaining games are against the Broncos (32nd in pass defense DVOA). It’s just something to be mindful of moving forward.
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