When the Los Angeles Chargers announced they would be bringing in Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach, it sparked a frenzy through the football world. Could Harbaugh really turn a team around like the Chargers? The answer is yes.
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A team that was once 5-12 in 2023 has a record of 6-3 in 2024 midway through the season. Former NFL coach Bill Belichick explains how Harbaugh has transformed the Chargers into building a new identity around the league.
"I think that's what Jim does is establish cultures," Belichick said, via The Pat McAfee Show. "That's exactly what he does. He's tried to build a more balanced team, more emphasis on the running game, more emphasis on defense. Jim's established a hard-nosed tough culture, which is really what every team needs. They need a culture that everybody believes in and can rally around.
"Jim's done a good job of that. You knew that's what it was going to be. Jim did that at San Francisco. That's what he did at Michigan. That's what he believes in."
In the months that Harbaugh has influenced the Los Angeles team, fans around the league are noticing the stark difference in quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert has a newfound role on the team. No longer is he relied on to play hero ball every single minute of every game, but rather, he has emerged as a fierce leader of the Chargers. With a more balanced attack on offense, Herbert has accepted his new role eloquently.
In previous seasons with the Chargers, Herbert was rather quiet and stoic but a few months playing under Harbaugh quickly changed that. His emotions are in full display in each game, win or lose. It's a testament to how Harbaugh has shifted the culture in the Chargers organization.
Against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Herbert completed 14 of 18 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. He also had a passer rating of 123.1 and went his seventh straight game without an interception.
But his teammates were more impressed with what Herbert did beyond the numbers. The way Herbert scampered and scrambled away from defenders was impressive, most notably when Herbert evaded former Charger Kenneth Murray Jr. with a jaw-dropping juke.
"Man, Justin was doing some [stuff] I've never seen. I didn't know he had that in his arsenal," Khalil Mack said via the team transcript. "Special player. You see him laying his body on the line today. It speaks volumes when you have a leader like that."
The Harbaugh era has so far transpired as advertised and fans are eager to see how the rest of the season will unfold for the Chargers.
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