Entering Season With Heightened Expectations, Chargers QB Justin Herbert Remains ‘Steady’ in His Approach
Added pressure hasn’t changed the mindset of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
COSTA MESA – The Chargers enter the 2022 NFL season with heightened expectations to find success. They have an elite quarterback in Justin Herbert, and the moves they made in free agency to retool the defense, signal a changing of the guard.
With a conscious effort this offseason to upgrade the defense, the Chargers have demonstrated their desire to create a more balanced roster, which should offer a steady compliment to last year’s top five ranked offense.
With more of a spotlight on the team and a growing belief that the Chargers are built to reach the playoffs, Herbert said during the first week of training camp that he doesn’t feel any added pressure.
“There is no pressure on us. The only pressure that you make is what you put on yourself. I think, as a team, we have the pieces, we have the athletes and competitors,” Herbert said. “As long as we’re doing our best and we’re asking each other what we want to do ourselves, I don’t think there’s much more that you can ask of.”
While the Chargers haven’t reached the playoffs since 2018, Herbert has delivered an overwhelming amount of individual success in just his short time. No quarterback in league history has thrown for more touchdowns (69) and yards (9,350) across their first two seasons than the Chargers’ young signal-caller.
But, even with record-breaking numbers from Herbert across his first two seasons, the Chargers haven’t done enough, collectively, to play beyond the regular season.
Herbert, at his first press conference of training camp, was asked if a quarterback’s win-loss record should be measured by success, and the third-year passer shared why he believes it has more to do with the team in totality, than just the distributor of the ball himself.
“Personally, I don’t measure quarterbacks that way. I think it’s a team game,” Herbert said. “As long as we’re playing the Chargers versus any team, that’s what matters most. It’s an offense, defense and special teams game that goes into it. You can definitely look at that, I think, but I think, for the most part, it’s all about the team.”
Head coach Brandon Staley said Friday that Herbert remains the same individual each day even with a new spotlight on the team entering this season.
“He’s just so steady. He’s handling it like he did the first time I met him,” Staley said of Herbert when asked how he’s handling a greater sense of urgency to win. “He’s a fierce competitor. His intangibles are by far his best quality. The head that he has on his shoulders. There is nobody’s standards that will ever, ever meet his own. That’s what makes him such a good player and such a good teammate.”
In year three under Herbert and year two under Staley, the Chargers have an assortment of momentum backing them as they attempt to break their playoff drought.
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