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COSTA MESA, Calif. — The primary of two joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys didn’t bode nicely for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Safety points towards the Cowboys’ defensive entrance stymied progress. Quarterback Justin Herbert took a number of sacks. Passes that ought to have been accomplished weren’t, and interceptions had been thrown.
Following probably the most grueling exercise of camp, most of Herbert’s teammates had already departed the observe facility on buses, whereas a number of others lingered to go to with household and buddies.
However there, within the far nook of the fields, lengthy after the ultimate whistle, remained Herbert, throwing cross after cross.
“He stays like an hour-and-a-half after observe simply throwing balls,” receiver Keenan Allen mentioned, amid a rising smile and chuckling. “It’s loopy.”
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A quarterback throwing passes, what’s so wild about that?
“I don’t know,” Allen mentioned, earlier than making a comparability to Philip Rivers, the Chargers’ former quarterback of 16 seasons, together with six with Allen. “Philip by no means stayed after observe to throw the ball. Philip put within the work, however this man is out right here like an hour-and-a-half after, simply throwing the identical route again and again and over. If there may be not a spiral, he’ll simply preserve throwing the identical one.”
For Herbert, there’s no throw rely, no time restrict, no actual measurable that signifies that his post-practice work for the day is full.
“It’s based mostly on no matter occurred that day,” he defined. “If there are a few throws throughout observe that possibly I missed or possibly I felt like I may have completed higher, after observe is the time to deal with these.”
The Chargers completed final season 9-8, third place within the AFC West, and missed the playoffs after dropping three of their ultimate 4 video games, together with a 35-32 additional time loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18, when a tie would have despatched them to the postseason.
A failure of a season, regardless of Herbert’s particular person success.
So the eye returns to the franchise quarterback, Herbert — the No. 6 general decide in 2020, who’s tasked with powering a star-packed roster not solely to a second playoff look in 9 seasons, however — dare they whisper — a Tremendous Bowl run.
The post-practice work gives proof of the burden Herbert carries into 2022, even when the quarterback himself downplays it.
“There isn’t a stress on us,” Herbert mentioned. “The one stress that you just make is what you placed on your self.”
As a second-year professional, Herbert posted the third-best QBR within the NFL behind future Corridor of Fame quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
On his option to his first Professional Bowl look, he turned the primary participant in NFL historical past to cross for 30 touchdowns in every of his first two seasons. And that’s solely the place his record-setting numbers started.
Via the primary two seasons of a profession, Herbert has probably the most passing touchdowns (69), passing yards (9,350), completions (839) and whole touchdowns (77) in NFL historical past. He reached 800 profession completions by his thirty first recreation, sooner than any participant in NFL historical past.
However private milestones don’t imply a lot in the event you don’t advance to, and win in, the postseason — a vacation spot the Chargers haven’t visited since 2018, when Herbert was nonetheless an Oregon Duck.
That’s why the group went all-in this offseason to bolster its protection, a unit that turned in an abysmal efficiency in 2021, and is anticipated to exponentially enhance with the addition of All Professional exterior linebacker Khalil Mack, Professional Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson and run-stopper Sebastian Joseph-Day – all of whom be a part of star edge Joey Bosa and security Derwin James Jr.
Staley, now in his second season as coach, expressed confidence that Herbert can deal with heightened expectations.
“He’s simply so regular,” Staley mentioned. “He’s a fierce competitor. His intangibles are by far his very best quality, the top that he has on his shoulders. There may be no person’s requirements that may ever, ever meet his personal…”
“He has uncommon aggressive stamina… It tells the group that we higher sustain with him.”
Getting into his third season, and a second in offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s offense, teammates and coaches have observed an ease about Herbert that he didn’t beforehand show.
“He’s only a lot looser than traditional,” mentioned receiver Mike Williams, who caught 9 of Herbert’s 38 landing passes final season. “He’s sort of taken management and being himself.”
Herbert, who additionally had 15 passes intercepted final season, is aware of the place the spots are on the sector for his completely different receivers, in keeping with Williams, and for his or her half, the receivers have a greater understanding the place they should be for him to get them the soccer.
“The whole lot is simply operating easily now,” Williams mentioned.
Herbert is extra current with every group on the workforce, together with the offense, protection, and even an occasional cease by particular groups. And with the teaching employees, he’s offering extra enter on time and rating conditions.
“He’s much more comfy this 12 months,” Lombardi mentioned. “Most likely experimenting a bit bit out right here with some throws, being a bit extra aggressive and testing the boundaries of issues.”
Via coaching camp practices, Herbert has been extra vocal. He directs site visitors, asserts his data, and corrects teammates when wanted.
“He’s making calls now,” veteran heart Corey Linsley mentioned. “And he’s making changes and stuff. Final 12 months, he was possibly a bit hesitant.”
Herbert typically deflects when requested to judge his personal private efficiency, and as an alternative defers to the workforce’s progress. This coaching camp, he mentioned, there’s a bonus persevering with in the identical offensive system.
“Going into this camp and having a 12 months of movie to look again on and examine and undergo, is so useful,” mentioned Herbert, who spent his rookie season of 2020 underneath former head coach Anthony Lynn, who was fired in January 2021, and former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, who known as performs and is now the Eagles offensive coordinator.
“We’re miles forward of the place we had been at this level final 12 months.”