Justin Herbert’s First Preseason Game
It feels insane to write this, but Justin Herbert is about to play in his first preseason game. Not his first game since an injury. Not his first game with a new coach. His first preseason game ever. This man has an Offensive Rookie of the Year, a Pro Bowl, and a highlight reel that YouTube has to compress like it’s 2007 internet speeds, yet no preseason snaps.
Think about this: Herbert basically got to skip preseason like an AP senior who already got into Stanford. During his rookie year, COVID canceled the whole thing. Years two through five, Brandon Staley locked him in bubble wrap like he was carrying around the last Charizard card. Even last summer, Jim Harbaugh’s debut season, Herbert sat out with a plantar fascia injury. Now, finally, here he is in his sixth year at 27, healthy and reloaded, minus Rashawn Slater’s tragic training camp knee blowout. Herbert goes to Harbaugh and says, “Coach, let me play.” That’s it. That’s the column. The franchise QB asked for preseason reps.
This is like LeBron James in his sixth year suddenly asking to play in Summer League. Another example is like Mike Trout saying, “You know what? I’ll take a few at-bats in March split-squad games.” It just doesn’t happen. Herbert wants to see a real pass rush, feel the speed, fire the ball into traffic that isn’t a seven-on-seven drill. As a lifelong football fan, I am loving it.
Here’s the dirty little secret: The Chargers always start slow. Almost sluggish enough that you start asking “Wait, are they actually good?” by mid-October. Maybe this is Harbaugh’s counterpunch. Get Herbert, Keenan Allen, and a patchwork O-line some live fire before Brazil in Week One. Of course, the O-line is the question. Slater’s season-ending patellar tendon injury was a gut punch, and Mekhi Becton still hasn’t practiced since July. That’s a lot of duct tape for your $262 million quarterback. Herbert doesn’t care because he is begging for a series, maybe two.
Jim Harbaugh, in true Harbaugh fashion, gave us the money quote: “Our guys want to play. They want the first series of the season not to be the first series of the season.” Translation: Herbert’s not sitting around collecting dust anymore. Will he even throw more than five passes? Preseason football is like ordering off the secret menu at In-N-Out, half the time you’re disappointed, the other half you’re bragging you got to try it.
For one or two drives, the Chargers’ QB will actually line up, see Aaron Donald’s ghost across the field, and sling it. For a franchise that hasn’t won the AFC West since 2009, every edge matters. If a couple of August throws help Herbert and Harbaugh come out swinging against Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week One, then fire up SoFi, because preseason finally matters. Write this down, August football has juice again.
