Justin Herbert defends Mike McDaniel, accepts blame for struggles of Chargers' offense

The struggles that the Los Angeles Chargers' offense and quarterback Justin Herbert endured as the club opened the 2026 season with six straight losses caused many to assume that head coach Jim Harbaugh would either fire offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel or strip McDaniel of offensive play-calling duties. 

However, Harbaugh confirmed on Wednesday that McDaniel will call plays when the Chargers are the road team against the 3-4 Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium this coming Sunday. 

Later on Wednesday, Herbert defended the much-maligned McDaniel.

Justin Herbert: "It’s on us" to play well for Mike McDaniel

"It’s not his fault, it’s our fault as an offense," Herbert responded when asked about McDaniel, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "We have to do our job. It’s not Mike’s fault. The guys are open. Plays are being made. It’s on us to run, to block, to catch, to throw. It’s on us as an offense." 

The Chargers' offense left much to be desired with its play ahead of the club's Week 7 bye. According to ESPN stats, Herbert ranks last in the NFL among qualified passers with a 29.3 adjusted QBR for the campaign. Meanwhile, the Chargers are 28th in the league with an average of 287.2 yards per game and last with an average of 15 points per contest for the season. 

"Mike has been very helpful," Herbert insisted. "He’s such a great coach and such a great leader. To have the experience and expertise has, it’s been very helpful." 

Justin Herbert wants Chargers offense "to come together" and rally behind Mike McDaniel

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Chargers as 6.5-point road underdogs against the Rams. It's unclear whether Harbaugh could have second thoughts about McDaniel's status if the Chargers suffer a double-digit defeat on the first Sunday of November, but it sounds like Herbert wants to continue playing under the club's current coaching staff through at least January. 

"Mike has done an incredible job of getting people open, and it’s on us to execute and make plays," Herbert added. "As an offense, we have to come together, execute our stuff, and understand that it’s on us to fix it."

Chargers passing game specialist Adam Gase, who previously served as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets, has been named as a potential in-season replacement for McDaniel.