LA Chargers: 3 improvements for Justin Herbert to make in 2021
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers struck gold with Justin Herbert and the ironic part is that the team would not have even known if it struck gold yet if all went to plan. It took a fluke injury to Tyrod Taylor for Herbert to get his first starting nod in Week 2 of last season and from there on out it was pretty clear who the starting quarterback should be.
Herbert went on to break just about every rookie record and has left every single Charger fan with a lot of excitement for the 2021 season. You cannot blame anyone for being excited, either, as the Chargers are a legitimate Super Bowl dark horse.
While Herbert was fantastic last season, he was not a perfect quarterback and if he is going to make the massive jump from year one to year two then he is going to have to make some improvements.
Here are three improvements Justin Herbert can make for the LA Chargers in 2021:
1. Protecting himself
Justin Herbert is not a running threat like Lamar Jackson but he does have speed and great size, making him a threat to extend plays with his legs. We saw this as early as his first start, where Herbert found the endzone with his legs and delivered a thunderous blow to linebacker Damien Wilson that hurt him.
That is fun and all, but Charger fans should be hoping for Justin Herbert to protect himself more than he did at times last season. He was not completely reckless and would find the sideline or bust into a baseball slide when needed but we need a bit more caution out of Herbert in year two.
Is a two-yard gain really worth it if it is going to come at the cost of a big hit that risks injury? Herbert had one injury scare last season where he had to sit out a snap and the team cannot afford anything series.
Of course, injuries are part of the game and Herbert is still going to extend plays with his legs when he does get pressured, but he can do so in a safe manner. Someone to emulate in that regard is Russell Wilson, who has not missed a single game since becoming the Seahawks’ starter.