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Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh greets quarterback Justin Herbert (10) on the field before their game against the Raiders. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Justin Herbert came in for a hug. Jim Harbaugh punched him in the chest. Over and over and over.
If the towering 6-foot-6 quarterback looked uncomfortable in the viral clip of Harbaugh’s pregame greeting that involves the coach hitting and punching his starting quarterback, just know Herbert indeed was shocked.
“I could have watched the film on that,” the Chargers star said with a half smile after he admitted to thinking Harbaugh’s routine was over as he walked away only to get pounded on the back.
It was a rare disconnect between the Chargers’ franchise quarterback and their culture-setting head coach whose relationship will form the base of the team’s next era. The importance of the connection between a franchise’s head coach and quarterback can’t be overstated, Chargers quarterback coach Shane Day said, and like Herbert’s sturdy shoulder pads, this bond is strong.
“That intensity and that love for the game is gonna just help Justin soar,” Day said.
The 2020 AP offensive rookie of the year, Herbert set numerous individual passing records during his first four seasons. The Pro Bowl player completes passes almost no one else in the NFL would even attempt.
But after leading the Chargers to a season-opening win over the Raiders to begin his fifth NFL season, Herbert is 31-32 as a starter. Now in his fifth season, the former No. 6 overall pick has yet to win a playoff game, losing in his only appearance after squandering a 27-point lead in the 2021 AFC wild-card game.
Turning a prolific quarterback into a championship quarterback takes the perfect cosmic alignment between organization, head coach and players, Todd Mortensen said. Harbaugh’s first college quarterback added, however, if anyone could help Herbert take the final leap, it’s Harbaugh.
Mortensen was a career backup at Brigham Young University…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jim-harbaughs-long-connection-quarterbacks-101038696.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-09-13 10:10:38
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