Justin Herbert: Everything you need to know

Herbert said Tuesday that a priority during OTAs has been to overhaul his footwork under the direction of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Kris Rhim of ESPN reports. Herbert said for each of the next few weeks he expects to dedicate one day to footwork and throwing-motion drills, with the goal of speeding up his release. Under McDaniel's new offensive scheme, Herbert said an early emphasis has been "just getting the ball out as quick as possible" rather than relying on his arm strength, in order to allow his pass-catchers "maximum ability to turn upfield and have time before a defender gets to them" and accumulate yards after the catch. That shift will play to the strengths of the Chargers' athletic skill-position group, led by playmakers like RB Omarion Hampton, WRs Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, and TEs Oronde Gadsden and David Njoku, and help reduce some of the attrition Herbert faced as the most pressured quarterback in the NFL last season. Offensive tackles Rashawn Slater (kneecap) and Joe Alt (ankle) are both expected to be cleared for training camp as well, so there are multiple reasons to be optimistic that Los Angeles' offense will take a productive step forward in 2026, with Herbert being a focal beneficiary of McDaniel's creative playcalling.

Herbert completed 19 of 31 pass attempts for 159 yards and took 10 carries for 57 yards with a lost fumble in Sunday's 16-3 wild-card loss to the Patriots. The narrative of Herbert falling flat in the playoffs grew louder Sunday after he failed to lead a touchdown drive against New England in another early-round exit. This comes on the heels of the signal-caller throwing four interceptions in last year's wild-card round loss to the Texans. The 27-year-old finished the regular season throwing for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns to 13 interceptions across 16 starts, but he was without the services of his starting right tackle for the entire season, while star LT Joe Alt missed portions of the year (including Sunday's loss). Assuming Los Angeles' offensive line can hold up in 2026, Herbert should maintain startability as a fantasy option for the upcoming campaign.

Herbert (left hand) practiced fully Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports. The Chargers elected to rest Herbert -- who has been managing a left (non-throwing) hand injury -- in the team's Week 18 loss to Broncos, with an eye toward giving their starting QB added healing time ahead of the postseason. On that topic, Herbert said Wednesday that his left hand feels as strong as it has since before he injured it in Week 13. "Not taking hits on it last week was probably pretty helpful," Herbert noted. Moreover, in preparation for Sunday night's wild-card contest against the Patriots, Herbert took snaps under center during Wednesday's session after having previously waited until Saturday or Sunday to do so of late.