-
chris rimm
Los Angeles– quentin johnson was confused.
next to los angeles chargers‘ 2025 preseason games against New Orleans SaintsIn which no starting player was playing, he served as quarterback. Justin Herbert Ran back and forth 25 yards a few times, then took a short break before repeating.
Eventually, Johnson realized that Herbert was conducting the team’s conditioning test, a rigorous race evaluation players must pass at the beginning of training camp to prove they are fit. As part of that test, they run 150 yards six times, divided into six 25-yard back-and-forth sprints, breaking for 40 seconds after each 150.
The amount of sets, reps and rest periods vary by position group, but it is a test that most players dread when returning at the start of football season. The fact that Herbert was willingly doing the conditioning test shocked him.
“My first reaction was like, ‘His ass is wobbling,'” Johnson said, laughing. “But if he likes it, I like it too. Just looking at it, I’m not surprised he’s driving the way he’s driving.”
Herbert has always been dynamic – he had the third-fastest 40-yard dash time of a quarterback at 4.68 seconds at the 2020 NFL Combine – and he has played against defenses that haven’t been able to account for his running ability throughout his career. pittsburgh steelers It turned out that in his second season, when Herbert rushed for a career-high 90 yards on the Chargers win 41-37,
But in his sixth season, Herbert is racing more often than ever – partly because he has no choice.
He averaged a career-high 26.6 yards rushing per game this season, 8.6 yards more than his second-highest season total. Herbert’s scrambling and running is in response to an injury-riddled offensive line that has been one of the league’s worst and has been forced out of the pocket with pressure — and has been forced to scramble as the coaches deem fit.
“If I can go, I’ll bring it first.” [down] With my legs, I’m very happy to do that. That’s when we perform at our best when we’re able to do everything,” Herbert said. “The run game, the pass game, play-action and quarterback scrambles and getting first downs.”
The Chargers will continue to rely on Herbert’s mobility when facing off. minnesota vikings on Thursday (8:15 PM ET, Prime Video,
“We’ve emphasized using his legs, making more plays with his legs to help the team,” quarterbacks coach Shane Day said. “But I think it’s more natural and conscious to be like, ‘Hey, if security is broken, we can still make plays.'”
Day said Herbert told coaches he wanted to improve mobility and speed before this season and it showed in training camp. Coach Jim Harbaugh said Herbert’s previous top speed in practice was 20.7 mph, but he reached 21.6 mph in practice this year. That momentum was evident in the Chargers week 1 win Above kansas city chiefs In Brazil.
On third-and-14 with 2:14 remaining, the Chargers led 27–21 and were on the verge of an eighth consecutive loss to the Chiefs. But then Herbert stepped back to pass Scrambled for 19 yards And calmly slid down for the first time, while his companions on the shore went into a frenzy. Herbert’s speed of 19.82 in that race was his top speed of the season.
“That was great,” Johnston said, smiling.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, among quarterbacks with at least five scrambles, Herbert ranks first in the league in yards per scramble with 11.9, with no other eligible quarterback having above 10 yards per scramble. Last season, Herbert ranked third in the league with 10.8 yards per rush. While scrambling has always been a part of his game, Herbert was forced to do so more often in 2025 because he was under so much pressure.
The Chargers’ offensive line has been decimated by injuries. left tackle Rashawn Slater there was one end of session Training camp, ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee during a tackle. Joe AltJoe Slater, moved from right to left after an injury, missed three games after exiting the first quarter of the Giants game in Week 4. high ankle sprainright tackle Trey Pipkins IIIAult’s replacement at right back has missed two games with a left knee injury. guard Jamari SalyerWhat was originally supposed to be the team’s swing tackle also missed one game with a right knee injury.
These injuries have led to the Chargers having one of the worst offensive lines in the league by week seven.
According to Next Gen Stats, defenses have pressured Herbert 135 times this season, sixty of which came within 2.5 seconds of his dropback, both the most in the NFL.
against dolphins In Week 6, the Chargers started Austin Deculus at left tackle, who ranked last in the NFL in pass block win rate per game played through two weeks, and bobby hart At right tackle, who had not played an NFL regular season snap since 2022. The following week, with the same offensive line, Herbert faced a career-high 57.4% pressure rate. against the coltsAnd was fired three times.
Harbaugh said that the pressure and beating that Herbert is taking is “very worrying” But the problem remains. Herbert’s running has kept him afloat, and his offensive linemen say, has helped him during this injury-filled period.
“From a pass rush standpoint, when you have to respect the quarterback’s mobility, it slows them down,” center. bradley bozeman Said. “It forces them to add an extra spy guy. Our receivers have better opportunities to get open, so it’s another threat he brings to the passing game that he’s had throughout his career, but especially this year.”
Herbert’s longest scrambles have often occurred at particularly opportune moments on third down.
On the third and nineteenth, against the giants In Week 4, Herbert ran 24 yards For the first time down. next week, against the commanders Faced with pressure from the flanks, Herbert quickly moved into the middle of the field. 41 yards And down for the first time.
“It changes everything,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.
Roman remembered how hard it was to stop san francisco 49ers When he was a defensive and offensive assistant carolina panthers From 1995 to 2001, because steve young Even if they had perfect coverage, they could still run for a first down. Roman said, “Just a sinking feeling that would affect me… It always stuck with me what a great equalizer it could be.”
The only problem with Herbert’s scrimmage for some members of the coaching staff is how it usually ends. Instead of slipping before contact, Herbert would often try to lower his shoulders and crush a defender with his 6-foot-6, 236-pound frame, much to the consternation of his teammates and coaches. But Herbert’s runs – and hits – “boost the energy on the sideline,” Day said.
“I mean, he’s naturally a physical football player, so when a guy is coming up, he’s not going to go out of bounds,” Day said with a laugh. “I don’t like it at all. He never listens to me.”
Day was Herbert’s quarterbacks coach for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before his departure. houston texans‘ senior offensive assistant in 2023, but then returned to L.A. with Harbaugh last season. He said Herbert’s understanding of when to run or pass is what sets him apart from other players he has coached.
Day said he and the offensive coaches create a plan in Herbert’s mind every week: what decision to make if he sees a specific coverage, a change in the defensive line or a tendency of the defensive backs.
Herbert’s reaction to the chaos of game day and his decisions–like him tying touchdown for wide receiver keenan allen against denver broncos Or that run to seal the game against Kansas City — Day said that’s where Herbert has developed the most.
“He just reacts and he’s always right,” Day said. “Whatever you take away, he goes to the next guy. … To be able to play football, go through his progressions and obviously just play the game is a very unique skill. No matter what happens, he can find something.”
