Jim Harbaugh has always hyped Justin Herbert. And recently, he took it to another level. “I woke up the other day and said, ‘Gotta get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. Must get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame,’” Chargers’ head coach said. And that dream has a very real plan behind it. Harbaugh explained it’s all about giving Herbert the right tools, and one right tool of the team would be Mekhi Becton.
“Guys for Justin to get the ball to,” Harbaugh told Eisen. “Sometimes that’s when your best ideas come… that would mean winning a couple Super Bowls.” He added, “A lot of people would benefit from that. That’s a worthy goal.” And Harbaugh’s not the only one rallying behind the QB. Now he’s getting delightful compliments of confidence from his offensive line as well, which perhaps is irking the QB.
Mekhi Becton, now decked in Chargers blue and gold, made it very clear in a recent mic’d-up video. “You’re amazing, bro,” Becton told Herbert. As he spoke, the camera focused on Herbert, and his response was clear—’stop it,’ with an awkward smile. “I don’t give a f— what you say. Keep telling me no all you want, I’m gonna keep calling you amazing? How about that?” Becton said. The guard wasn’t through glorifying his QB, though. He sent this encouragement to Herbert.
However, Becton’s antics didn’t stop there. He continued, “And, you make sure that you tell yourself that every f—— morning. When you look in the mirror, ‘I’m f—— Justin Herbert, and I’m amazing,’” Becton said. And Hebert? He kept smiling, despite being a bit annoyed by the continuous praise. Hilarious! Hard to ignore that kind of locker room energy.
.@BigTicket73 had to let Justin Herbert know (via @chargers) pic.twitter.com/wHZfg9lGdQ
— NFL (@NFL) August 6, 2025
Meanwhile, another name is quietly taking over headlines at training camp—KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The fifth-round rookie is making waves as the most consistent receiver so far. What’s turning heads is Lambert-Smith’s smooth ball tracking and ability to adjust mid-play. Not only that, he made explosive plays repeatedly throughout training camp, culminating in a strong showing in the Hall of Fame game.
In that game, Lambert-Smith became known, leading the Chargers in receiving with two catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Being named the ‘star‘ of 1-on-1 drills during training camp, it’s no surprise that he is becoming the face of the WR room. After all, Harbaugh saw it coming about a week ago, when he said, WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith is “surging at practices and that he’s on fire,” per Alex Insdorf.
However, amid all this chaos, Herbert recently revealed his demands from the locker room.
Justin Herbert’s leadership grows amid line concerns
The vibe at Chargers camp has been nearly perfect. Justin Herbert looks dialed in, the defense is flying, and Jim Harbaugh’s blueprint finally feels real in the City of Angels. But while the Bolts are flashing smiles on the surface, there’s still one big issue simmering underneath—Herbert’s protection inside the pocket. Sure, the team did plug in Mekhi Becton at right guard, but the rest of the interior line? Still a revolving door.
Harbaugh has been shifting Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman around like he’s playing musical chairs. “Bozeman at center and Johnson at left guard” is what he now calls the team’s “best five.” Still, the mix sounds far from final. “I’m just bullish on the offensive line,” he claimed. But even he hinted at more experimenting, noting Johnson could still get snaps at center in their upcoming Saints matchup. Through all this shuffling, Herbert is focused.
In a mic’d-up moment from camp, Herbert was asked what he really does during preseason games. His answer? Pure team-first energy. “Yeah, it’s to watch the game, support the team, and do whatever I can,” he said. “If they need any help, if they’re asking any questions, do what I can. But just being out there supporting the team.” That’s not just a quarterback speaking—that’s a captain building a culture.
And of course, Herbert’s resume speaks for itself. No. 56 on the NFL Top 100. Fifth-straight selection. 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns, only three picks. A TD:INT ratio of 7.67—eighth all-time. And a 91.2 PFF grade? Career-best.
But as Harbaugh had pointed out, “There’s nobody in this entire organization who gives more blood, sweat and tears and contributes more, produces more for the organization than Justin Herbert.” So, now eyes are on the Chargers, how they’ll protect Herbert while he cooks the offense.
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