Justin Herbert set the tone for the Los Angeles Chargers’ reset under Jim Harbaugh with a composed, high-leverage performance in the international opener and a command of a remodeled offense that puts his arm talent—and decision-making—at the center of everything. In this in-depth, real-time season snapshot, we unpack what Herbert showed in the Brazil kick-off game, how the rebuilt supporting cast fits, what Greg Roman’s play-calling is unlocking, and why the All-Pro’s long-term deal keeps the window wide open through 2029.
Opening statement in São Paulo: timing, tempo, and control
The Chargers’ primetime trip to São Paulo wasn’t just a marquee broadcast—it was a litmus test for a new staff and a roster that underwent deliberate retooling. Herbert operated with poise from the first series, marrying quick-game rhythm with selective deep shots and using motion to diagnose coverages before the snap.
That combination helped Los Angeles finish drives late and close out a one-score win over the defending champs, a result the club framed as “coming up clutch” in a physical Week 1 setting.
If you watched closely, you saw Harbaugh’s identity right away: situational excellence and late-game answers. Herbert checked to high-percentage concepts on money downs, trusted his protection, and delivered on-time throws into leverage—particularly to veteran targets on option breaks. The endgame composure echoed what the Chargers themselves highlighted postgame: complementary football, but with QB1 as the finisher.
Jim Harbaugh, Greg Roman, and a system built to amplify QB strengths
Scheme fit matters, and Herbert now has a play-caller in Greg Roman who is comfortable building run-pass conflicts that clear windows between the numbers. Roman and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter reunited with Harbaugh to emphasize physicality on both sides, but the offensive tweak is especially relevant to Herbert: condensed formations, motion, play-action, and an expanded keeper/boot menu that moves the launch point and punishes single-high looks. That cocktail reduces pure drop-back burden and lets the quarterback attack grass, not helmets.
Translation for fans: fewer “hero ball” moments, more EPA per play through structure. Herbert will still layer throws outside the numbers—he’s elite there—but you’ll notice a steadier diet of defined reads on first and second down, designed to keep him in advantageous down-and-distance.
Weapons refresh: familiar chemistry and new horsepower
The Chargers approached the offseason with two mandates—get open quicker and finish drives. Retaining six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen preserved Herbert’s most bankable timing relationship, the kind that wins on third-and-six when the defense knows what’s coming. Allen’s option route prowess pairs nicely with the motion/mismatch ecosystem Roman prefers.
On the ground, the addition of former first-rounder Najee Harris gives Los Angeles a downhill hammer who can live in the B-gaps and keep the offense on schedule on early downs. Harris also provides screen utility and pass protection help—quietly critical to unleashing deep play-action shots without exposing Herbert. The club announced terms with Harris early in the league year, signaling a power-run intent that played out immediately in Week 1.
Brazil game proof-of-concept: the one external read worth your time
For a clean look at how the opener unfolded, the Chargers’ editorial recap breaks down the late-game sequencing and how Herbert managed the critical series that swung the result. It’s a useful companion to what we’re analyzing here because it traces specific “clutch” calls that married run looks to shot opportunities when the defense overplayed the box. Read the official takeaways from the club.
Contract security: window extended through 2029
Big-picture stability matters when you’re building a program. Herbert’s record-setting five-year extension (average annual value north of $52 million) keeps him under contract through 2029 and aligned with this coaching cycle.
The structure—typical for a franchise QB—was set in 2023 and gives the Chargers a clear runway to stack deep-run rosters around a known commodity. For context on term and dollars, league reporting and salary databases captured the headline figures when the deal was signed.
Practically, that means Los Angeles can front-load developmental capital—draft picks on the lines, value signings at RB/TE/slot—and deploy cap flexibility in windows where a hot defense or elite health profile makes a 13-win campaign realistic. Continuity at quarterback is the catalyst.
What changed on Herbert’s tape—and why it travels
Two themes jumped off the Week 1 film: (1) pre-snap control and (2) a willingness to take profits. The first showed up in cadence usage, quick shifts, and kill calls that coaxed the defense into revealing rotation.
The second was the discipline to hit the first open man in the progression, not hunt the hero shot. When you pair those with Herbert’s inherent superpowers—velocity outside the numbers, deep-out accuracy, and pocket toughness—you get a profile that scales in January weather.
Another nuanced change: the timing of Herbert’s eyes. Instead of lingering on verticals that were capped by a back-rotating safety, he dropped to outlet routes earlier. That not only cuts down on hits; it also keeps second-and-10 from becoming third-and-long. Add a sturdier run game and you get fewer pure must-pass scenarios, which is where Joey-Bosa-type pass rushers feast.
How the new backfield helps Herbert—beyond the box score
Harris’ presence forces defensive coordinators to respect duo and power even on neutral downs, and that influences how linebackers fit. When backers step downhill a half-beat earlier, glance routes and crossers open behind them.
Roman’s tight formations exaggerate that effect—condensed splits demand communication in traffic, and Herbert is adept at throwing receivers open into those vacated voids. Expect the Chargers to keep using jet motion and orbit looks to widen flats and create easy RPO answers when the front squeezes.
Red zone, third down, and the “gotta-have-it” menu
In the low red zone, watch for more heavy personnel and misdirection: sift motions, leak routes to tight ends, and QB keepers off split-zone looks. Herbert’s size and athleticism make him a sneaky threat on the edge, and those keepers punish undisciplined ends who crash.
On third down, Allen’s option mastery plus choice routes for backs give Herbert reliable leverage winners. The net effect: a higher touchdown rate on drives extended by methodical, low-risk decisions.
Why the opener matters—and what’s next
One game never writes a season, but the Brazil result offered a microcosm of how this Chargers team can win: rely on a top-shelf quarterback to make the right decision 40 times, not the spectacular one twice. Herbert was judicious when to rip the seam and patient when to take the stick route at five yards.
And when the script demanded it late, he elevated—exactly what franchise quarterbacks do. That echoes the team’s own emphasis on clutch execution in São Paulo.
The Herbert thesis for 2025
Put it all together and the thesis is simple. With Justin Herbert secured long-term, a staff that leans into his strengths, and a supporting cast tailored to separation and power, the Chargers have reduced variance. The highs will still be highlight-reel throws; the floor should be raised by structure, depth, and a run game that travels. If the defense holds serve under Minter, Los Angeles has the ingredients for a double-digit-win season and a brand of football that wins one-score games they used to lose.
