Chargers QB Justin Herbert left Jim Harbaugh 'starstruck' in first meeting

Ahead of the AFC Championship Game in Baltimore on Sunday, the former Michigan and San Francisco 49ers HC admitted he was a "little starstruck" when he met the 25-year-old quarterback, via the team's website.

This is an excellent sign for the organization. The compliment shows he believes in him, which should bode well for their partnership.

Harbaugh has excelled with different passers at the college and pro levels, including Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith and J.J. McCarthy. Herbert is one of the most talented QBs he's coached.  

Before suffering a season-ending right finger fracture against the Denver Broncos in Week 14, the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 20 TDs, seven picks and the fifth-best QBR in the league (64.1). With the right HC, he could enter the MVP conversation. 

While it has an elite QB, L.A. still has other problems it must solve after a disappointing 5-12 season. Spotrac projects the Chargers will be $44.02M over the cap this offseason, meaning they can't splurge in free agency. Not to mention, they finished 23rd in points allowed (23.4).

Harbaugh won a national championship at Michigan and guided the 49ers to a Super Bowl XLVII appearance, so he should overcome these problems and turn the Chargers into a contender. Plus, his passion and intensity should give the organization the jolt it needs.

"It's gonna be a team. Think of a family. There's gonna be igniters. There's gonna be leaders by example. That's mostly what I do," he said Monday in a video posted to the team's X account, formerly known as Twitter. "We're gonna attack [them] with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."