“There’s No Defending What He’s Done”: NFL Analyst Torches Mike McDaniel for Turning Justin Herbert From “Very Good QB Into the Worst QB in the League”

The Los Angeles Chargers brought in Mike McDaniel as the new offensive coordinator, hoping he can help quarterback Justin Herbert & Co. improve. However, the Chargers’ six consecutive losses to start the season suggest the move hasn’t paid off yet. Through six games, Herbert had thrown for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 59.4% of his passes. His 68.8 passer rating ranked near the bottom among starting quarterbacks.

On Thursday, NFL analyst Chris Broussard remarked that McDaniel is doing quite the opposite job by turning Herbert from a “very good QB into the worst QB in the league.” When asked who should be blamed for the Chargers’ 0-6 start between McDaniel and Herbert, Broussard said:

“Well, look, Mike McDaniel, there’s no defending what he’s done. We all believe Justin Herbert has been overrated. However, he is a good quarterback, without question. This has been the case for not one or two years, and it’s still up in the air. He is a legitimately good quarterback with, I think, elite talent, and he just hasn’t realized it. And that’s why I thought McDaniel would be perfect for him. But he’s turned a very good quarterback into the worst quarterback in the league. So there’s no defending it.”

Broussard suggested the Chargers let McDaniel coach the team for the rest of the year. If McDaniel and Herbert start to click, that’s good, but in any other scenario, the Chargers should get rid of McDaniel.

After the Chargers’ poor start, questions are being raised about whether Mike McDaniel is complicating things for quarterback Justin Herbert.

McDaniel took ownership of the Chargers’ offensive failures.

“I’m fully responsible,” he said via ESPN. “I spend zero time trying to avoid blame. It’s quite the opposite… I’m not minimizing it; it’s not acceptable to me. But also not creating a fake narrative that ignores annual history. There’s a team that you guys can think of right now, either way, that everyone was crowning.”

McDaniel also maintained that Herbert needed to improve while acknowledging that the coaching had to improve, too.

“Nothing has changed with Justin Herbert,” McDaniel said. “I think at this point I have a much better understanding of things that lead to him making good plays. There are things we’ve done in the past three games that are active participation in losing the game. And so flat-out our jobs are going to prove everything, and I’m not living in hope; I’m living in reality.”

According to NFL.com, Herbert’s quick-game passing has not developed as intended. His completion percentage on quick throws was 4% below expectations, compared with 4% above expectations in 2025. The Chargers also struggled on deep passes.

Herbert, McDaniel and the Chargers will get their next chance to record the first win of the season when they face the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 1.

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