Why Justin Herbert's leadership has taken a leap in 2024

Months before Morgan Fox signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in May of 2022, he says he was enamored with quarterback Justin Herbert. Fox watched on TV as Herbert converted on deep fourth and third downs in a Week 18 game that the Chargers played against the Raiders at the end of the 2021 season, with a playoff berth on the line.

Still, when he became teammates with Herbert, Fox looked forward to testing Herbert's mettle. After a play during practice, Fox smacked a football out of Herbert's hands, "I just wanted to see how he was going to react," Fox said with a smile.

Herbert picked up the ball, launched it at Fox and began railing at the defensive tackle with expletives. "That's what I wanted to see," Fox said with a smile. "He's always had that tone. You've just got to talk to him."

Herbert's personality has long been a focus for critics who have questioned if the 2020 first-round pick has the personality to lead an NFL locker room. In his fifth season in the league, players say Herbert has evolved as a leader -- a credit to time in the NFL and a coach in Jim Harbaugh who has pushed Herbert to be more vocal.

With the Chargers at 7-3, their best start since the 2018 season ahead of a "Monday Night Football" matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET), Herbert could be leading a legitimate contender for the first time in his career. At age 26, he's playing perhaps the best football of his career with a different confidence and bravado that has the organization rallying behind him.

"I feel like everybody's having more fun this year. We've got a good culture going and Justin's definitely the leader of that," offensive tackle Rashawn Slater told ESPN. "Whenever we see him have that energy, it's very infectious. As long as I've known Justin, he's been the ultimate competitor, but I love that he's been a little more animated."

HERBERT SPENT FOUR years at the University of Oregon, where he emerged as one of the better players in the country over his final two seasons, throwing for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns, and six interceptions and adding a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin in his senior season.

Herbert's play elevated him to the top of draft boards along with quarterbacks Joe Burrow of LSU and Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama.

There were few concerns about Herbert's game; many evaluators only pointed to him needing to make quicker decisions against defenses moving forward. The main issue was Herbert's personality. His shy and reserved approach was a red flag for a position where leadership is valued as much as performance.

"Most of the league was aligned on his upside," former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock told ESPN. "He grew up blocks from campus, so there was some concern about handling being the face of a franchise, as he had no other world view."

When Herbert was asked if he would be prepared to play immediately in the NFL, he told reporters, "I feel confident with my abilities, but I've never played in the NFL before, and so to give you an answer whether I could play right now, I don't think that'd be in my best interest."

Then-ESPN analyst Emmanuel Acho cited that quote as why Herbert could potentially be one of the "biggest mistakes of the draft."

Ultimately, Herbert's criticisms didn't appear to impact his draft status much, if at all, as the Chargers selected him with the sixth pick. He was the third quarterback taken and was thrust into the starting role in Week 2 after Chargers team doctors accidentally punctured quarterback Tyrod Taylor's lung pregame.

In that game, Herbert threw for 311 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Offensive Tackle Trey Pipkins III's favorite highlight from that day came in the second quarter when Herbert trucked Chiefs linebacker Damien Wilson on a scramble. Pipkins called Herbert a "psycho" because of how he bounced back up and ran into the huddle without showing emotion.

"From the jump, you could tell he had that leadership quality that you look for in a quarterback," Pipkins said. "I think it's just the more confidence he gets and the more he believes that we are all behind him and we look to him for that leadership role ... the more he continues to grow in that regard."

IN THE THIRD quarter of the Chargers Week 10 game against the Tennessee Titans, Herbert broke a sack try from Titans outside linebacker Ali Gaye before running for the Chargers first down. When Herbert crossed the first down marker, he was met by linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., who delivered what looked like a significant hit to Herbert.

As Murray drove Herbert to the ground, center Bradley Bozeman, running back Gus Edwards and fullback Scott Matlock sprinted over in apparent concern. At the bottom of the carnage was Herbert with his right arm pointed in celebration to signify a successful first down.

"I was like, 'Oh s---, Justin got hit. But then I just see him on the ground, and he's just signaling first down, and I'm like, I f---, I love that," Slater said with a smile. "He's the ultimate competitor. He feels no pain."

Herbert's first down celebration has become standard during the Chargers' four-game winning streak, as have some others. After a touchdown pass to wide receiver Ladd McConkey in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, for example, Herbert nodded his head almost cartoonishly before chest-bumping Pipkins.

Slater describes Herbert's on-field persona as "lighthearted confidence." Most players are intense and serious before games, but Herbert is typically calm, even playful.

"He'll be just joking, have a conversation just joking around the sideline and then hopefully we do the crazy things that you see and then he'll talk his s---," Slater said. "That's a guy that could just flip a switch."

Herbert is aware of the alter ego, telling reporters earlier this season after cameras caught him giving a passionate, expletive-laden speech ahead of Week 1: "Football Justin's different."

The passionate-taunting-celebrating-Herbert that's been prevalent on the field this season is what Harbaugh is attempting to bring out of Herbert elsewhere. Since Harbaugh arrived, he's showered Herbert with praise that toes the line between admiration and obsession -- and has given him a gentle nudge to be the vocal leader of this team.

It started in the offseason when Harbaugh had a gold practice jersey created for Herbert, so defenders would stay "two and a half or three" yards away from Herbert to avoid injury, as opposed to the standard two yards for backups. After Harbaugh's speech following the Titans win, he pointed to Herbert with his arms wide: "Justin, just talk to us."

"I've got so much to say and so little time to say it," Herbert said with a smile, "great job everybody."

The moment was another example of how Herbert has begrudgingly come around to Harbaugh's affection and leadership nudges.

"It's not really my style to want that," Herbert said. "But the more you go through it, it bothers you less and less and I think it's cool to have a coach support you like that. I try and say as many good things about him as possible, but I think I'm outnumbered."

EVEN WITH THE hire of Harbaugh, the offseason departures of wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett made it seem that these Chargers, who won five games last season, would struggle again this year.

Instead, the Chargers have been one of the biggest surprises of this NFL, with an effective offense essentially because Herbert is willing it to be. Things didn't always look this way. The Chargers were 2-2 through four weeks, Herbert nursing a high ankle sprain as he headed into the Week 5 bye with career lows in completions, pass attempts, and yards. Herbert's frustrations had even boiled onto the sideline in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs when he slammed his helmet on a bench multiple times.

But since returning from the bye, Herbert has been one of the NFL's best players.

Over his last six games, he is averaging 268 passing yards per game, the fourth most in the NFL. In his first four games of the season, Herbert averaged 144.5 passing yards per game.

Herbert getting healthier has enabled the Chargers to put him under center more often and use more play-action. He has used play-action on 37% of his dropbacks over the last six games, compared to 25% in the first four games of the season. When using play-action in the previous six games, Herbert has 703 yards and three touchdowns. The 703 yards when using play-action are the most in the NFL since Week 6.

"Enjoy it," Harbaugh said. "He's not only one of the best in the game currently, he's one the best of all time. I don't feel at all that I'm going out on a limb saying that."

As the Chargers navigate the remaining eight games of this season, their championship aspirations will likely depend mainly on the ability of Herbert, who in year five appears to be a more confident player and a willing leader, giving the Chargers confidence they haven't had in some time.

"I love seeing his growth. He's always talked a little trash and celebrated a little bit, but I think this year he's kind of coming into his own," Fox said. "He's aggressive. He wants to win. He's going to come after people's necks. He's a headhunter. And I love him for it and I love seeing it."br/]