It's hard to find a more exciting offensive coordinator and quarterback pairing than the one the Chargers have put together heading into 2026.

Justin Herbert has shown it all through his first six seasons in the NFL, whether it's elite level play, toughness or dazzling comeback wins.

And there's been plenty of praise about Mike McDaniel during his time as an offensive playcaller as he's reached some of the highest levels of offensive production and creativity.

Put them together and it's safe to say NFL pundits are fired up about the match.

"We've never seen McDaniel with a quarterback as talented as Justin Herbert," The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia told Chargers.com.

ESPN's Kevin Clark added: "I have no doubt it's going to work."

The buzz around the hiring couldn't be bigger, even with a full offseason still left to go.

And for those experts at Radio Row who have seen Herbert and the level he's played at through six years, this move could not be more inspiring.

It's one thing to have a good offense, but The Athletic's Robert Mays believes having one of the best offensive minds in the NFL could vault Herbert and the offense to another level.

"It's about giving them stability and making sure they're giving themselves every opportunity," Mays said. "He's had some good offensive coordinators during his time. When you've seen him paired with head coach-worthy offensive coordinators, Mike McDaniel obviously is, that's when he's had his best years.

"I think having a true advantage with who's calling the plays and one of the best playcallers in the league, it changes the dynamics of that offense," Mays added. "You're not just getting by, now you're one of those teams that's at the forefront."

The pairing is not necessarily about seeing more from Herbert. He's already shown it all as The Athletic's Dave Helman put it.

But the idea of an offensive mind like McDaniel putting together an offense around the ability of the star quarterback has many wondering how high the ceiling could be for the Chargers offense going forward.

"I don't need to see anything else from Justin Herbert, but Mike McDaniel knows how to create explosive offenses," Helman said. "At his introductory press conference I saw him say the stuff he did with Tua had nothing to do with what he's going to draw up for Herbert.

"A guy with that brain drawing up an offense for someone as talented as Justin Herbert, the stuff you can do with him as a runner, his arm strength is second to none, his toughness is incredible, I think the sky is the limit," he added. "It has been for years."

Now what McDaniel's offense with Herbert and the Chargers offense looks like remains to be seen.

The offensive coordinator made it clear at his opening press conference that he believes the quarterback hasn't reached his ceiling, a statement that surely draws eyes on its own.

As for what that can look like, some pundits see it manifesting itself in different ways aside from the X's and O's.

"I think this is what it's all about, getting another step for Justin," Yahoo Sports' Matt Harmon. "You're hoping to accomplish a lot in the run game, pass game, but one of the biggest things is you want to get the next step for Herbert."

Clark added: "I think you're going to see immediate elevation… Mike McDaniel does a really good job of empowering his quarterback and you pair that with Jim Harbaugh, who could not be more in love with his quarterback, there's going to be a lot of confidence there. I think that's going to be really important. "

Herbert's done it all through six seasons with nearly 25,000 passing touchdowns, 160-plus touchdown passes, a pair of Pro Bowl nods and plenty of individual accolades.

Not to mention the heroic plays and moments he's delivered, most notably this season.

However, where McDaniel could have the biggest impact on the quarterback is something he mentioned at his opening presser — taking a bit of the load off him week-in and week-out.

It's an exciting proposition that those around the league believe can help elevate even more.

"It's not that there's a level of Herbert's play that hasn't been unlocked that needs to be unlocked, but rather what around Herbert and the work that will be done for him," ESPN's Ben Solak said. "With Mike, you expect the work Herbert needs to do in order for the Chargers to have large team success, he needs to do far less. It's going to make him healthier later in the season, it's going to make his job easier."

He later added: "There's going to be a remarkable increase in easy buttons in the Chargers offense. The oneness on Herbert is going to drop dramatically, which is going to help him not hurt as much at the end of the season, run faster and more free, he's not going to feel tight and has to avoid the picks. The ceiling is the roof, I'm thrilled."

It could mean nothing but good things for Herbert and the offense throughout a long, grueling season.

"McDaniel is excellent at scheming guys open, making things easy for his quarterback," Rapoport said. "Herbert doesn't need things to be easy, he's fine when things are hard, when players are falling off of him, he's really good in all situations.

"But I think he's really going to like how open guys are and how many layups he gets. He's going to appreciate that," Rapoport added. "That will probably reduce the amount of hits he takes and make his life a little easier."

McDaniel has excelled at getting the best from his personnel, and this opportunity with Herbert and the Chargers is no different.

It's going to take some time until we see it in action, but there's no doubt it's one of the most interesting storylines heading into next season.

"I don't think we know exactly what McDaniel's offense, what he wants it to look like. He was scheming around his personnel, which is what great coaches do, in Miami," Kapadia said. "Now, he can almost do whatever he wants. I think that makes sense, set up those easy buttons for him.

"There's always times where great quarterbacks have to be Superman, but you don't want that week-in and week-out," Kapadia added. "You want them feeling good in December. Taking some of the pressure, some of the hits off him, it does have a high ceiling there's no doubt about it."

Coming off a year where he was one of the most valuable players in the NFL, there's ample belief he could continue to elevate as one of the league's best under center.

"Justin Herbert has had good coordinators but… McDaniel can help them go to the next level," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler told Chargers.com.

Helman added: "I think he could be an All-Pro caliber quarterback with Mike McDaniel in charge of the offense. He already is, though."