5 Takeaways: How Justin Herbert Has Meshed With Chargers OC Mike McDaniel This Offseason

Jun 02, 2026 at 05:34 PM

Editorial Director

It was a jam-packed Tuesday at The Bolt.

The Chargers kicked off the second week of Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices with a big day from the defense, as RJ Mickens tallied a pick 6 on the afternoon.

Off the field, Justin Herbert stepped to the podium for the first time since mid-January.

Here are five takeaways from Herbert's media availability:

1. Early impressions of Mike McDaniel

Herbert spoke for nearly 20 minutes on Tuesday, and he is never going to be overly animated in front of reporters.

But his enjoyment for working with Mike McDaniel was evident from the quarterback's first answer about his initial reaction to the Chargers Offensive Coordinator getting hired.

"It was exciting. Obviously, we have so much respect for him and it's been so much fun getting to meet with him and talk with him and understand how he sees the game," Herbert said. "I've really enjoyed my time with him so far."

McDaniel, by the way, had already raved about Herbert earlier in the offseason.

"I had very, very lofty expectations. Justin's up there as one of the main motivating factors of moving my family here," McDaniel said on May 8. "Lofty expectations and I can say with absolute certainty he's exceeded those. Just very motivated and focused."

Herbert said Tuesday that he didn't know McDaniel personally before the former Dolphins Head Coach joined Jim Harbaugh's staff.

But the quarterback said the initial meetings with McDaniel were "awesome" and "we talked about more than just football" in them.

"I could tell we were going to get along really quickly really well," Herbert said.

Herbert did offer some details on those early meetings, saying one during the spring grabbed his attention.

McDaniel, Herbert recalled, put together a presentation featuring "a few hundred plays" featuring "exactly what he wanted to see from the offense."

The vision for McDaniel's highly efficient and explosive offense was crystal clear for Herbert.

"I just think how well put together it was, it made sense," Herbert said. "It was really cool and an offense I haven't really seen before.

"I was really excited to play for him and really excited once I saw that to really understand the offense and get into it," Herbert added. "It's exciting to watch and really made me want to get back into football."

That's in addition, of course, to McDaniel watching every one of Herbert's throws during his NFL career to date. That included some passes Herbert couldn't recall the exact details on.

"He'd bring up throws I didn't quite remember or I remembered differently," Herbert said. "It means a lot if we're going to work together. He bought in and I want to buy in just as much as he did."

It's only mid-June and there is much work to be done for the Herbert-McDaniel tandem in the months ahead.

The duo will keep learning about each other through a three-day mandatory minicamp from June 16-18 before getting ready for a grueling training camp.

But the early vibes between the two are high, and the expectation is that Herbert could be in for perhaps the best season of his career in 2026.

"I think he's a great teacher, great coach," Herbert said. "I think the more time we can spend watching film with him and seeing exactly how he views the game and how he views the quarterback position, he's got such a great feel for it."

He later added: "The more time we get, the better for us."

2. Diving into McDaniel's scheme

Keep your eyes peeled for plenty of quick throws from Herbert this season.

McDaniel spoke last month about a time to throw of 2.4 seconds (or less) being a benchmark he wants Herbert to hit often in 2026.

Herbert has played in four previous schemes in his NFL career, but when asked to pinpoint what percentage is entirely new about this offseason, Herbert didn't give a number.

Instead, he focused on the fact that the ball is leaving his hand faster than ever.

"I think getting the ball out quick and the emphasis of getting the ball out before the receivers are even looking for it, that's the new part," Herbert said. "In year's past where you rely on your arm strength to put the ball exactly where you need to instead of trusting and throwing it to a spot and letting them go and get it, I think that part is different."

In other words, Chargers pass catchers will need to be on high alert as they get comfortable in the offense, as Herbert shared a funny anecdote about McDaniel from earlier this offseason.

"The first day, Mike might have given them a heads up that if they didn't turn their heads around fast enough, the ball was going to hit them in the face," Herbert said. "It was on us as a quarterback to push the limits and see how quickly we can get the ball out.

"No one got hit in the face and they did a great job of adapting so I thought that was a cool way of pushing the ball out as quick as we could," Herbert added.

Herbert noted that a big focal point this offseason has been his footwork, an area that McDaniel has also repeatedly touched on in his two past press conferences.

(Herbert, it should be noted, didn't throw during practice Tuesday and instead worked on his footwork in individual drills.)

"Mechanically, it's a little different timing, making sure you're timed up with the routes," Herbert said. "It doesn't take too long because in years past, I've been feet parallel with each other, right foot forward, left foot forward.

"Basically, just understanding how he wants the drops timed up with the routes and he wants the ball out early," Herbert added. "We feel like that is going to help get the ball out quicker."

The payoff from those quicker throws could be twofold.

First, it could allow the Chargers collection of speedy skill players to attack opposing defenses in a jiffy. Herbert mentioned Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey as wide receivers who could thrive in McDaniel's system.

"That's kind of his big emphasis in getting the ball out and getting the ball in the receivers' hands at a time where they can go up field and make something happen," Herbert said. "We turned on the tape of Miami the last few years and how many plays they had with YAC, guys catching the ball and breaking for a touchdown.

"The better I can do at getting the ball quicker in their hands and into a position they can run with it, I think the better our offense will be," Herbert continued.

Additionally, and maybe more importantly, quick passes heavily reduce the amount of times Herbert could get hit in the pocket, especially since tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt both said Tuesday they expect to be fully ready to go by Week 1.

"[McDaniel] understands how defenses are ever changing and it's his goal to be able to take away the pass rush," Herbert said. "If you're getting the ball out quickly, there's really nothing they can do about it.

"With edge rushers and how good they are, you've got to find a way to slow them down. I think that's just his way of taking them out of the game as best as we can," Herbert added.