NFL 2024 season - Los Angeles Chargers team preview

Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and NFL writer Frank Schwab discuss whether or not they think Jim Harbaugh will change his coaching philosophy to adjust to Justin Herbert in the 2024 NFL season. Hear the full conversation on the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

So let's go to a more positive team coming up next, at least in the eyes of many the Chargers.

Now I have the Chargers here and you've heard me say on zero blitz many times, I think long term the Chargers are going to be fine.

I believe that when landmark head coaches come in, the first thing they do is sell everybody the same bill.

And I don't care if we're talking about Jon Gruden.

I don't care if we're talking about Sean Payton.

I don't care if we're talking about, you know, Joe Gibbs back in the day with Washington, like when, when legendary coaches come back in, what do they say?

They immediately say we're gonna compete right away.

Then after one year they tell you, well, we didn't have the right guys in the building.

We had to rip it apart.

You take it down to the stubs, you re rebuild it.

That's where I think the Chargers are gonna go.

So the most interesting question to me is what does this Herbert Harbaugh marriage look like?

If they were a celebrity couple, we'll call them Harbert either way.

What did they look like together?

Because Harbaugh loves to run the football.

And Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks supposedly in the NFL.

So, you know, JJ mccarthy, according to Harbaugh was one of the best coaches he'd ever quarterbacks he'd ever seen in college football.

He didn't throw the ball a lot.

So, are we about to see a different version of Justin Herbert and our fans and the media are gonna be accepting of that when Herbert is a darling and that may not be the type of offense that Harbaugh wants to run.

I'm really fascinated by this because you look at, if you're most coaches, you step in and you say, what's the one asset I have?

It's Justin Herbert.

I don't think Harbaugh thinks that way.

I think he has a philosophy and I think he wants to, to really establish the Chargers as a tough running team.

That's always kind of been his mo his whole career.

So I don't see him changing that, but I also will say this, Don Shula may be the greatest coach of all time, at least in a conversation, right?

He was part of those teams in the seventies that pass the ball only when they had to pass the ball.

I think he at Super Bowl seven, Bob Greasy attempted like six passes or something like that.

He also coached Dan Marino who was the NF L's 1st 5000 yard quarterback.

I think he evolved with the Times and said I got Dan Marino.

I, I'm not gonna have him handing off 30 times a game.

I don't know if Harbaugh's going to do that with Justin Herbert.

When he really gets, gets into the relationship with him, coaching him, sees who this guy has some special talent.

I'm not just gonna hand the ball off to Gus Edwards 25 times a game.

I need feature this guy feature him prominently.

I think this whole dance is gonna be very interesting to see how much does Harbaugh change his philosophy to fit Herbert?

And do you feel like if he doesn't change his philosophy?

Are you just wasting Justin Herbert?

Who's making, what, $53 million a year?

Something in that range?

It's gonna be fascinating because we know what Jim Harbaugh wants to do, but we also know what the strength of the Los Angeles Chargers is at this point.

Are the Chargers a playoff team this year.

No, not to me.

I, I'm very low on the Chargers.

I, I think you are too.

I just think it takes a year.

I just think their talent is overrated, including Herbert ba ba and I just don't think that, that they're ready.

I, I just, yes Harbaugh with 13 to 3, his first year at the 49er, but the 49ers were really, really loaded and I don't see the Chargers team being the same