Something has prevented Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert from fulfilling a skill set that has coach Jim Harbaugh declaring that Herbert will be considered the best to ever play the game. The disconnect between talent and production has become more pronounced in the early days of the 2026 season, given that the Chargers have lost a pair of home games against two of the worst teams in the league in 2025.
On Wednesday, Herbert’s midweek press conference included questions about a possible increase in vocal leadership.
In response to the first — regarding the potential need for vocal leadership before the Week 3 game in Buffalo — Herbert jumped.
“I think that would mean there’s no need for vocal leadership before this week,” Herbert said, via ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “I think every week is a super important week for us and it’s a great opportunity for us to play football again and correct the things we did wrong last week and keep moving forward.”
Herbert interrupted the second question on the subject.
“I don’t think there’s a lack of vocal leadership at all,” Herbert said. “So I’ll stop you right now and tell you it’s very present. I don’t think anyone is panicking or worried because it’s not going to be the feeling. It’s moving on to the next show and we realize we’re close, we’ve made mistakes, how do we fix it?”
Herbert reiterated his expectation that there will be no panic as the team looks at the possibility of 0-2 becoming 0-3 and, based on the upcoming schedule (at Seahawks, Broncos, at Chiefs), possibly 0-6 bye.
Regardless, something is missing. And this is not a matter of Herbert’s talent, it is something else. Maybe the players around him aren’t good enough. Maybe he’s not doing enough to get the most out of them. Perhaps the odd-couple pairing of Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is a work in progress that hasn’t made enough progress yet.
One win will change everything. But the team looked flat and outmatched in two straight games the Chargers should have won. Now comes the hand, and there is a chance that the hole will get deeper and deeper with each passing week.
