Harbaugh Tells Herbert to 'Be Better' as Chargers Stare at 0-6
Herbert is sitting on a career-worst 73.4 passer rating, and now his head coach is calling him out publicly. Fantasy managers, we need to talk.
Name value still holds; the schedule and scheme say cash out now.
- Herbert's 73.4 passer rating is a career low by far
- Prior full-season low was 93.2
- 20/34, 226 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT in Week loss to Bills
- Chargers face SEA, DEN, KC before Week 7 bye
- Threw 0 INT across 16 games in 2025
Jim Harbaugh doesn't usually air laundry in public, so when he tells reporters his quarterback needs to "be better" — and then says it again — you pay attention. Harbaugh said the critique drives everyone in the building, from Herbert to his position coach to coordinator Mike McDaniel, and admitted the Chargers need to look hard at their scheme and their execution.
The numbers back the frustration. In Sunday's loss to the Bills — a game where L.A. blew a 10-0 lead — Herbert went 20-of-34 for 226 yards, one touchdown and one pick. His passer rating for 2026 sits at 73.4, a career low that isn't even close: his previous full-season floor was 93.2. That's not a slow start, that's a cliff.
What Changed
Here's the uncomfortable part for anyone who drafted Herbert as a QB1. The biggest structural change this offseason was firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman and handing the keys to McDaniel. McDaniel is loud and quirky; Herbert is quiet and businesslike. If those two wires aren't connecting, the whole offense short-circuits — and right now it looks short-circuited.
The schedule offers zero relief. The Chargers could realistically be staring at 0-6, with the Seahawks, Broncos and Chiefs on deck before a Week 7 bye. That's three tough defenses while quarterback and coordinator are still trying to figure each other out. Not the runway you want for a bounce-back.
The Fantasy Fallout
Context matters here. Herbert finished 2025 (16 games) with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, zero interceptions and 498 rushing yards for 313 PPR points — a genuinely elite line. He's still our No. 8 QB and No. 18 overall in our 2026 rankings, but his last five games are running roughly three fantasy points below his own season average, and the arrow is pointing down, not up.
The move: if you can still trade on the name, sell high before the SEA-DEN-KC gauntlet drags the market with it. Managers with the roster depth to wait may prefer to hold and stream around the bye, but nobody should be blindly firing Herbert up as a top-eight option until the passer rating climbs back toward his career norm. This one bears watching, and the trend isn't your friend yet.
