What Jim Harbaugh Just Said About Justin Herbert’s Strength Should Scare the AFC

The Los Angeles Chargers are preparing themselves for another season, with Justin Herbert leading them. An indispensable part of the team, the quarterback has a lot of expectations on him to help deliver a successful season.

Entering his seventh year with the team, Herbert will be looking to rally the team once more. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh recently made the case that Herbert is one of the most formidable quarterbacks in the AFC in terms of strength.

Jim Harbaugh crowns Justin Herbert 'toughest QB'

The Chargers have taken strong preparation for the 2026 NFL season, with little time remaining till the regular season begins. Ahead of the new season, Harbaugh had some strong words of praise for his quarterback. In a recent interview with PFF, he highlighted the strength and toughness of Herbert. Having been a quarterback himself, he felt that Herbert was the toughest quarterback he witnessed.

He said , "I really thought I was the toughest QB I'd ever been around until Justin. I mean, a guy that can play with a broken hand. The next week, he's stiff-arming a guy in a game. The strength of 10 men. It's incredible. Let's just say I'm glad he's on our team."

His comments were referencing the fact that Herbert played parts of the 2025 NFL season with a left-hand fracture. It happened during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders on November 30, 2025, after colliding with defender Jeremy Chinn's helmet. He underwent surgery on it on December 2, 2025, and returned to the field to face the Philadelphia Eagles just a week later, wearing a protective glove. The quarterback previously played through an ankle injury in 2024 and now has a reputation for his resilience and toughness.

Harbaugh previously also praised his player, even going as far as to say that he could be the best ever quarterback, for which he was subject to much criticism . One person from the organization has set some high expectations from Herbert.

Chargers OC sets high expectations on Justin Herbert

Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was asked about his expectations on Herbert. He said , "One thing each day. To do that, it takes an incredible amount of focus because there's no scorecard and it can't be about being competitive. It has to be about being locked in and getting real muscle memory, and I thought he did that, so it's been a good week."

He added, "So, high expectations, not ceilings, trying to attack each day, don't want him to slow down and what it is, is we'll go out there Week 1, it'll be four quarters and we'll assess the tape after Week 1. My expectation is not result-based, but that we'll be able to improve on things from that tape and apply them to the next opponent, so that we can continue to get better. That's his key for the football he's trying to play."

Justin Herbert will be preparing as the Chargers open their regular season against the Arizona Cardinals on September 13, 2026.