NFL executive adds to leadership concerns about Chargers' Justin Herbert

Questions about the leadership qualities possessed by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert resurfaced after the Chargers opened the season with a pair of losses. 

That was before the Chargers fell to 0-3 via a 24-16 defeat at the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 27. For a Casino.org piece published on Thursday, NFL insider Jason La Canfora spoke with an unnamed "longtime personnel executive" about what Herbert has and hasn't been for the Chargers. 

Does Justin Herbert need to be more of a vocal leader amid Chargers' struggles? 

"I think Herbert has a leadership issue," the executive said. "He’s a pretty quiet guy, not very naturally vocal, and it seems like he gets swallowed up sometimes." 

Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5M contract extension in the summer of 2023, and the hope from the Chargers at that time was that he would be viewed as one of the league's elite signal-callers by the start of October 2026. That hasn't happened, as ESPN stats show that he began Thursday ranked 29th out of 30 qualified players with a woeful 27.4 adjusted QBR for this season. 

Over the campaign's first three weeks, Herbert tossed three touchdown passes and four interceptions. According to ESPN, Los Angeles heads into Week 4 ranked 20th in the league with an average of 308.7 yards per game and 29th with an average of 14.7 points scored per contest. 

Chargers need Justin Herbert to "take ownership" of the team

"Leading up to that draft, he reminded me of Carson Palmer in some ways, and you kind of heard some of that stuff about him, too. He has to elevate that thing and take ownership of it, and that’s not who he is," the executive added about Herbert. 

Whispers suggesting that Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh could make a change regarding offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's role with the club will likely grow louder if Los Angeles suffers a loss at the 2-1 Seattle Seahawks this coming Sunday. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Los Angeles as a seven-point road underdog for the matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions.