Say a bad thing about Justin Herbert and you'll be an enemy for LA Chargers fans forever. Say a good thing and you will earn the trust of the entire fanbase. Rookie wideout Tre Harris has already learned this lesson and is doing the latter.
To be fair, it's really easy to say great things about Herbert when you are a wide receiver. Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and is an absolute pleasure to catch passes from. It's no surprise that Harris is already lauding his quarterback.
Still, it's nice to see Herbert get some appreciation when some of his former teammates have openly questioned his leadership in recent weeks.
"Whenever I first got out there, before even minicamp for just OTAs with the vets, I immediately knew he was different, to be honest with you," Harris said (h/t Daniel Popper, The Athletic). "Just the ball placement and his attention to detail with everything is supreme."
Chargers' second-round pick Tre Harris wastes no time hyping up Justin Herbert
Supreme. It's not every day a wide receiver uses that lingo to describe their quarterback. As unorthodox as that word usage is, the compliment itself is not unorthodox as every Chargers fan knows it to be true.
Harris was drafted to one of the best teams for his development and this quote shows a full recognition of that reality. Not only does he have an elite quarterback throwing him the ball, but Harris also has an opportunity in Los Angeles that he would not have had elsewhere.
Harris is coming in as the bona fide No. 2 target behind Ladd McConkey. On a team with Justin Fields at quarterback, that would not be an exciting proposition. On a team with a supreme quarterback, it presents a chance to shine.
It could have been much different for the Ole Miss wideout. The next team to take a wide receiver in the draft was the Las Vegas Raiders, who took TCU's Jack Bech. Nothing against Geno Smith, but he definitely is no Justin Herbert.
The next two teams to take a wide receiver came in the third round on consecutive picks when the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions took wideouts. Both teams have promising quarterbacks and offenses that aren't up to par with Herbert. Plus, on both teams, Harris would have been fighting for snaps.
The Chargers were one of the best teams for Harris' long-term career and he definitely recognizes that. Any doubts around that recognition were squashed by his immense praise for his new quarterback.