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Examining Justin Herbert role in Chargers' coach hiring process

Originally posted on Los Angeles Chargers on SI
By Andrew Parsaud | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 7:30 AM ET

It's going to be an offseason of change for the Los Angeles Chargers. Not only are they in danger of losing defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to a head coaching job, but they'll need a new playcaller on the offensive side of the ball. After a 16-3 Wild Card loss to the New England Patriots, Jim Harbaugh announced that offensive coordinator Greg Roman was relieved of his duties.

The Chargers scored just one touchdown in two playoff games with Roman leading the charge. The circumstances weren't great, especially considering how insane the offensive line situation was in 2025. Still, the Chargers offense should be better, and they hopefully will be now with a new signal caller coming in.

Justin Herbert is coming off of another poor playoff performance, pushing his postseason record to 0-3. As the Bolts search for a new offensive coordinator, Herbert won't be part of the process.

Justin Herbert won't be part of OC hiring process

Jim Harbaugh adds that quarterback Justin Herbert is not involved in the offensive coordinator-hiring process at this point in time. https://t.co/QNT3fwDinA
— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) January 15, 2026

Despite the sour ending to the season, shouldn't Herbert at least have *some* say in who will be coming in? He is the star quarterback after all. This decision is contingent on who has the best plan to elevate Herbert and those around him.

Luckily for the Chargers, there's a solid pool of OC candidates out there this hiring cycle. They've already interviewed Marcus Brady, Shane Day and Brian Callahan. They'll have a big fish in the building on Tuesday, as former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will interview for the position as well.

The hope is that the next Chargers' OC can come in and go away from the run-heavy approach Roman instilled early on. They did open the playbook up more in 2025, but obviously to no avail. The Chargers failed to have a 1,000-yard receiver and rusher this past season. Herbert finished the year with 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns. His 13 interceptions were the most since 2021.

It'll be interesting to see who the Chargers eventually bring in.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Chargers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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