Justin Herbert is getting punished behind a battered LA Chargers offensive line and Jim Harbaugh has seen enough. As tough as his quarterback is, Harbaugh clearly wants the referees to protect Herbert like they do other quarterbacks in the league.
Herbert took a beating in Sunday night's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which even included an injury scare with his right ankle. The cyborg-like quarterback did what cyborgs do and shook off the injury, but it doesn't erase the larger issue at play.
The Chargers' offensive line needs to be better. We all know that. But the referees need to do their part as well. There were quite a few hits on Herbert that normally would be called for roughing the passer... but they weren't. Harbaugh clearly isn't happy about it, and let his feelings be known in the most subtle, politically correct way possible.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on protection for Justin Herbert: "He's as tough as they come...I have another opinion on that, but I don't want to say it publicly."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) November 10, 2025
"He got hi-lowed, hit low a couple times. I think that needs to be looked at," in regards to the refs.
Jim Harbaugh subtly calls out refs for lack of calls to protect Chargers' Justin Herbert
Harbaugh didn't outright bury the refs after Sunday's win because he knows what will come after if he does. If Harbaugh said what he is truly feeling he would probably have a letter from the league office at his desk Tuesday with a fine.
But it doesn't take much to read between the lines of what Harbaugh is saying. He's not happy that his quarterback was put in danger and the refs did nothing to curtail it.
Herbert's injury came on a hip-drop tackle that resulted in his ankle getting rolled up underneath his body. These tackles are meant to be banned in the NFL regardless of position. This isn't a roughing the passer issue, it's a player safety issue.
And the refs missed it. They also missed a low tackle on Herbert in the second quarter that normally gets called for roughing the passer. If it was Patrick Mahomes it certainly would have been called, and it should be. It only takes one of these tackles to injure a quarterback and derail an entire season.
But alas, Herbert seemingly hasn't built up the same officiating equity as Mahomes.
All that being said, the best way to protect Herbert is with the offensive line in front of him. A 15-yard roughing the passer penalty would be nice for these moments, but that won't erase an injury if Herbert were to get hurt on one of these plays.
The offensive line is the only thing that can control the amount of punishment Herbert takes. And unfortunately for the Chargers, the offensive line has been hit with the uncontrollable: injuries. As frustrating as it is, it's hard to blame the team fully when the third and fifth-string tackles are starting.
Hopefully, the Chargers can at least make the most out of the things they can control. And it would be nice if the league office takes a look at Sunday's tape and harps of the officials to not let it happen again.