“He is the man,” said Jim Harbaugh when asked about Justin Herbert’s role in helping the Los Angeles Chargers make the playoffs this season. Harbaugh was right. Herbert carried the team on his shoulders in the 2024 season. He finished with a passer rating of 101.7, 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in 17 games.
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Meanwhile, the Chargers QB also has a historic opportunity to overtake former LA legend John Hadl’s passing yards record of 26,938 this year. Realistically, it is tough to expect him to achieve this feat in 2025. At present, Herbert has 21,093 yards, meaning he needs 5,847 more to pass Hadl.
And, Herbert’s best season in terms of passing yards came way back in 2021, when he finished with 5,014. Even if he repeats that performance this year, it would not be enough to surpass Hadl. But, it is safe to say Herbert could break Hadl’s record in the 2026 season. There is also a slim chance he could do it this year if the Chargers reach the Super Bowl and he averages at least 320 yards per game.
Furthermore, Herbert will have an even bigger challenge in catching Dan Fouts, who sits second on the list with 43,040 yards. He would need to perform at an elite level for the next 8 or 9 seasons to come close to Philip Rivers, who leads with 59,271 yards.
However, beyond the stats, fans will likely care more about Herbert’s playoff record, which stands at 0-2. In his postseason career, he has posted a passer rating of 60.7 with 515 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions in two games. What hurts him most is that those four interceptions significantly impacted the outcomes including Chargers’ 12-32 loss to the Texans last season.
HERBERT THROWS A PICK-SIX
20 unanswered points from the Texans after going down 6-0
(via @HoustonTexans)pic.twitter.com/iRy43MW2Mq
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 12, 2025
But, after an 11-6 season and a playoff berth, Harbaugh remains confident about Herbert leading the franchise in one of the AFC’s toughest divisions that features the Chiefs and the Broncos.
“I see him at the level, just the highest level as a quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “First five seasons, nobody’s thrown for more yards in the history of the NFL, and everything he does, you just don’t change a thing. Whatever it is, conditioning, it’s too easy. Everything we do, we try to pull him back because you never have to talk him into doing anything. He’s been in here every day,” he added.
Currently, Herbert, Dak Prescott, and Lamar Jackson share the unwanted reputation of shining in the regular season but struggling in the postseason. Herbert will look to crush that label as he leads the Chargers’ mission this year.
