Chargers OC McDaniel: Herbert Is 'Far Past' Year 1 — And He's Got the Receipts

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Mike McDaniel didn't come to Los Angeles to play the long game. The Chargers' offensive coordinator is gunning for "Year 2 results in Year 1" with Justin Herbert — and by the sound of it, the QB is already blowing the doors off the timeline.

"He's been everything that I'd hoped and more," McDaniel said. And that's not just coach-speak. There's real precedent for why McDaniel believes Herbert can skip the adjustment period.

The "Year 2" Shortcut

Tua Tagovailoa made his only Pro Bowl in Year 2 under McDaniel. Matt Ryan won his only MVP in Year 2 under Kyle Shanahan, McDaniel's mentor. The pattern is obvious: Year 1 in this offense builds the foundation, Year 2 brings the eruption. McDaniel wants to collapse that timeline.

"They've been up for the challenge," he said. "We're not having a year off — we're trying to be our best right now. So we have to put in the prerequisite work to get that done."

That meant an offseason overhaul. McDaniel said there were "probably about 500 things" he wanted to adjust in his coaching style. He changed meeting structures, threw unorthodox formations and alignments at players, and packed the install with more than ever before. The result? The "most tightly woven" offensive install of his career.

The Shotgun Switch

One of the first challenges he gave Herbert: flip the shotgun stance. Most QBs plant with their throwing-side foot forward, but McDaniel has spent decades coaching against that convention — going back to his Houston days under Shanahan. He applied the same fix to Tua and Matt Ryan. The idea: quicker release, faster trigger to receivers in space.

It looked clunky in June minicamp. But since training camp opened? Seamless. Herbert is firing darts, hitting receivers early and in stride, and drawing rave reviews.

The highlight came Sunday, when Herbert dropped a 40-yard dime over safety R.J. Mickens and into the arms of tight end David Njoku. McDaniel lost it, sprinting around and screaming, "F--- yeah, 10."

That throw wasn't just arm talent. McDaniel asked Herbert to read the post safety early in his drop and throw with anticipation—no extra hitch. Herbert did it with a chill that made it look routine. "It was the first time that he had kind of recognized and been able to do the read super fast like we've been talking about," McDaniel said.

The first times are becoming a regular occurrence. Every practice, there's something new. And if this keeps up, the rest of the AFC had better buckle up — because Herbert is coming for Year 2 numbers in Year 1.