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Chargers' offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is setting some big goals for Justin Herbert

The Los Angeles Chargers have been shaking things up this offseason, and it’s going to result in a very different-looking team in 2026. One of the most notable additions has been to the coaching staff, as head coach Jim Harbaugh hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to come in and be his new offensive coordinator.

McDaniel will be tasked with helping star quarterback Justin Herbert take his game to another level. While surrounding him with a proper infrastructure is key, Herbert still has areas in his own game that need to be improved, and it sounds like McDaniel is intent on doing whatever he can to help aid his new quarterback’s development.

Mike McDaniel Has High Expectations for Justin Herbert

Ever since getting selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Herbert has been one of the most consistently excellent quarterbacks in the league. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2020, and he earned a pair of Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2025. And yet, Herbert still doesn’t have a single playoff win to show for through the first six seasons of his career.

Last season, Herbert threw for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns in 16 games of action, but he had no answers in the team’s lone playoff contest against the New England Patriots. While Herbert deserves his fair share of the blame, Harbaugh opted to shake things up by firing his longtime offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, and replacing him with McDaniel.

Herbert has the ability to make any throw he wants, but he also has a maddening habit of making mistakes at the worst possible time (13 interceptions thrown last season). McDaniel knows just how talented Herbert is, but he’s intent on finding a way to make him a more polished presence under center in the 2026 campaign and beyond.

“He has the capability of mastering every tool in the toolbox,” McDaniel said, per Kris Rhim of ESPN. “For him to own the position in a way he never has and ultimately for it to be obvious to everyone around, he’s playing the best football of his career.”

Chargers Hoping Justin Herbert Can Lead Them to New Heights in 2026

GettyLos Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert

While Herbert hasn’t been able to lead the Chargers on a deep playoff run, it’s also worth noting that he has to shoulder a heavy burden in order to ensure that his team even has a shot at winning games. When Herbert struggles as he did against the Patriots in the playoffs last year, Los Angeles has been unable to find another way to put up a fair fight.

The good news is that McDaniel is also working on lightening the load for Herbert on offense, but at the end of the day, he is going to need to be at his best when the lights are at their brightest. McDaniel’s stint with the Dolphins may not have come to a great end, but as one of the top offensive minds in the league, he should be well-equipped to help bring out the best in Herbert moving forward.