Chargers' Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert earn debatable spot in head coach-QB rankings

When it comes to quarterback-head coach combos, the Los Angeles Chargers aren’t just big names with nothing to back it up. 

Justin Herbert, after all, is easily a top 10 quarterback in the NFL, if not top five. And Jim Harbaugh has established success wherever he has gone over the course of his legendary career, including a playoff berth for the Chargers last year despite a dramatic rebuild. 

The resume so far is enough to land the Herbert-Harbaugh duo as the fourth-best in the NFL in the mind of Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame:

“This is the first of four combinations where the coach and quarterback are in the top 10. Los Angeles is trying to overcome the perception that talent exists, but results do not. Last season, Herbert only threw three interceptions during the year but had four in the Chargers’ wild-card blowout loss in Houston. This year, it’s all about finally winning a postseason game and threatening the Chiefs in the AFC West.”

This puts the duo behind only the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. John Harbaugh’s Ravens will cause Jim some angst, at least. 

It’s mildly surprising to see Harbaugh and Herbert ranked so high, considering it puts them above, say, the Mike Tomlin-Aaron Rodgers duo in Pittsburgh now. 

Debate about the rankings or not, Chargers fans can’t complain, especially when it feels like Year 2 of the duo being together could produce even better results.