Jim Harbaugh dubs Derwin James the ‘best football player’ he’s ever been around, compares him to Chargers legend

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh gave major praise to All-Pro safety Derwin James. While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Harbaugh ranked James among the great football players he’s seen and compared him to a Chargers legend.

“I know I’d say he’s the best safety I’ve ever seen. I think I did him a disservice. He’s the best football player I’ve been around, Jim Harbaugh said. “When it comes to that stat line that you can’t see, there’s only one player I can compare him to, and that’s Junior Seau. The iron wall that negativity bashes against Derwin James, same with Junior Seau, and same energy, same love of the game, and all-out effort.”

James has put together a Hall-of-Fame career during his time with the Chargers. The former Florida State star has been named to the Pro Bowl four times and the All-Pro Team four times since beginning his NFL career in 2018.

Last year, James was named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second Team after recording 93 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one interception, and seven passes defended. Through three games this year, James has tallied 26 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and two passes defended.

Derwin James ‘has been awesome’

“That dude has been awesome,” Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson said about James in July. “When you talk about knowing every position, learning front and back, everything, you would think he’s been in this defense for five-plus years, but it’s only his second year.

“I think that’s the reason I’m so in it now, because you’re playing with a guy like DJ,” Jackson added. “You can only match his speed, you get left in the dust not doing what he’s doing. You want to know something, how to do something, you look at No. 3. He’s literally the standard, he’s literally Charger football.”

Harbaugh’s comparison of James to former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau is big, considering how much Seau meant to the organization. Seau played in the NFL from 1990 to 2009 and spent his first 13 seasons with the Chargers. He was named to the Pro Bowl 12 times, selected to the All-Pro Team nine times, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Seau died at the age of 43 in 2012.