Justin Herbert: Blame for Chargers' offense is on the players, not Mike McDaniel's fault

Published October 29, 2026 04:59 AM Before the season, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh predicted that Justin Herbert would be the greatest quarterback ever. During the season, Herbert has been by some measures the worst quarterback in the NFL. That has led to plenty of talk that new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is to blame.But Herbert says that isn’t the case.“It’s not his fault, it’s our fault as an offense,” Herbert said when asked about McDaniel. “We have to do our job. It’s not Mike’s fault. The guys are open, plays are being made. It’s on us to run, to block, to catch, to throw. It’s on us as an offense.”Herbert said that he’s learning a lot from McDaniel, even if the results aren’t showing up on the field.“Mike has been very helpful. He’s such a great coach and such a great leader, to have the experience and expertise has, it’s been very helpful,” Herbert said. According to Herbert, the Chargers’ winless season is 100 percent on the players and not at all on McDaniel.“Mike has done an incredible job of getting people open and it’s on us to execute and make plays,” Herbert said. “As an offense we have to come together, execute our stuff, and understand that it’s on us to fix it.”