The 2025 season might not have ended the way Los Angeles Chargers fans wanted but it was still a step in the right direction. The Chargers were once again bounced in the first round of the playoffs and Justin Herbert didn't play well in their season-ending loss. That's unfortunately what people have remembered and latched onto when discussing the Chargers' 2025 campaign.
What people might not remember is how beat up this team was, especially on the offensive line. Albert Breer finally gave Herbert the praise he deserved when asked about the Chargers quarterback during a Tuesday appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
Breer was asked if the 2026 season is when we finally see Herbert play like a top-five quarterback. His response is something that Chargers fans have been shouting from the rooftops all offseason.
"I'm not sure [Herbert] got enough credit for last year, by the way, like they won 11 games despite losing Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. Not only that, they were at one point down to like their fifth and six tackles. Like, and that's the foundation of their identity. That's where their investment was, was in that offensive line," Breer said on The Dan Patrick Show. " It just feels like if they can stay healthy, there's a lot of things set up for Justin Herbert to have a really big year. And I think a huge part of the equation is Mike McDaniel... Mike McDaniel has never had a quarterback like this, you know, and we've seen creatively what he's been able to do over the years."
Albert Breer shuts down Justin Herbert critics with one key point
Say it louder for the people in the back!
For real, people have forgotten how dinged up this team was with injuries a season ago and it was nice to hear Breer bring that up. Not only did Herbert have to play games without his two starting tackles but, as Breer noted, at one point things were really grim there with backups to the backups to the backups taking snaps and having to attempt to protect Herbert. It didn't go well, naturally.
People have forgotten this key detail and now that both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater are back and healthy, the offensive line that the Chargers have invested in heavily will return to being a strength and not a weakness. That means only good things for Herbert as he hopes this is the year he and the Bolts can finally overcome the challenges that have long stood in their way.
Moving forward, the Chargers should have a lot of optimism. Herbert thrived even without his starting tackles last season, and the hiring of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator will be massive for both Herbert and the Bolts. The comment about how McDaniel has never had a quarterback like Herbert should really fire Chargers fans up because it's 100 percent true.
McDaniel should be able to further unleash an already close to elite Justin Herbert and for Chargers fans, that's a lot of fun to think about. For the other 31 NFL teams, however, they're likely dreading what's to come in Los Angeles this year, as they should be.
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