Jim Harbaugh laid the foundation in Year 1 with the Los Angeles Chargers. Year 2, however, is all about Mike McDaniel injecting elite speed into the equation.
Last season’s cultural shift delivered 11 wins, and McDaniel is determined to build on that success. Their first move is adjusting quarterback Justin Herbert’s foundational shotgun stance to put his non-throwing side forward, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
Justin Herbert Switching to Shortgun Stance
GettyLos Angeles Chargers OC Mike McDaniel on changing Justin Herbert’s traditional stance
For his entire NFL career, Herbert has operated out of a traditional, right-foot-forward stance. McDaniel is taking a massive gamble this season by completely flipping that foundation and forcing his franchise quarterback to lead with his left foot in a shotgun stance.
“McDaniel wants Herbert to get the ball out quicker and rely less on his strong arm. So he had Herbert switch his shotgun stance, placing his non-throwing foot forward,” Rhim explained.
This isn’t some unproven training camp experiment either. It’s the exact formula McDaniel used to ignite top-tier units in San Francisco and Miami. The strategy dates back to 2007, when McDaniel first studied how legends like Brett Favre and Tom Brady successfully broke tradition to weaponize the exact same stance.
And he’s fully confident it will elevate Herbert’s game to the next level as well.
“I think the biggest thing is it wasn’t like I was trying to fix something that was like, ‘Well, this is I broke,’” McDaniel said. “You’re looking at a player that is very, very talented … and trying to take him to the next level.”
Putting his left foot forward saves Herbert a fraction of a second on his dropback. In the NFL, that millisecond is the difference between a completion and a sack.
A “millisecond competitive advantage,” as McDaniel puts it, is custom-built for Run-Pass Options (RPOs) and lightning-fast throws. It gets the ball out before the pass rush can even reactel.
“You’re throwing a five-yard out route, how can we get 12 on that? Well, our timing, based on our footwork and when we’re able to throw, has a big portion in the overall maximization of that five-yard out route,” McDaniel added.
Herbert’s Thoughts on the Change
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert
For years, Herbert has been forced to play ‘hero ball’, throwing deep-field acrobatics to bail out bad plays. This system lets his playmakers do the heavy lifting instead.
“I don’t think it’s too much of a difference,” Herbert said about the change.
Herbert already has experience operating from a different shotgun stance. In college, Oregon operated from a balanced stance.
Herbert threw 13 iterceptions last season. The change could be exactly what he needs to cut down on them and take the guesswork out of his reads this season.
To build this new habit without wearing down his arm, the Chargers had Herbert drilling with weighted balls all offseason to save the mileage on his throwing shoulder.
Now that Herbert has a reliable young wide receiver blanket in Ladd McConkey, adapting to McDaniel’s modern mechanics looks like the missing piece in moving past their previous Playoff heartbreak and navigate a successful January run this season.
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