Justin Herbert’s prowess as a quarterback divides opinions, as the results of his performances have not exactly brought in major laurels that many NFL signal callers receive. However, few statements carry more weight than calling someone the greatest quarterback ever. Yet Los Angeles Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh has made exactly that kind of prediction about his franchise QB.

“Justin Herbert to me is the best there ever was,” Harbaugh said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “And ever since I’ve been a boy, ever since first punt, pass, and kick that I participated in Iowa City, I am always sizing up the quarterback… I mean, I’m always looking at the quarterback, and there’s no doubt Justin Herbert would be the one I would have hit the transfer portal if I was on the same team as Justin Herbert. So, yeah, lucky, lucky.

“He’s, to me, he’s the best there ever was. And I’m going to call my shot, Stephen A., I know you like to speak your mind. I’ll speak my mind. I’ll call my shot like Babe Ruth, like when it’s all said and done, Justin Herbert’s going to be known as the best to ever play the position.”

Jim Harbaugh’s assessment comes from an analytical lens. He has been around offensive units as a coach and consultant for over two decades now (1994-present), and among all the quarterbacks he has come across, Justin Herbert has seemingly been the best in his eyes.

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Herbert is entering his seventh NFL season, a career he started with the LA Chargers back in 2020 as their first-round draft pick. In regular seasons, Herbert has been exceptional, boasting a 52-43 record while throwing for 24,820 yards and 163 touchdowns. However, his playoff performance has not been all that great.

Herbert has three appearances in the postseason games and lost all three times. It started with the defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-31 in the 2022 Wild Card round after leading 27-0. Then followed up with the Houston Texans (12-32) in 2024 and the New England Patriots (3-16) in 2025.

Due to this, there is constant scrutiny around Justin Herbert’s status as an elite quarterback. Yet, Jim Harbaugh believes otherwise and speaks about where his quarterback’s preparation lies for the 2026 season.

“Just keeps getting better,” Harbaugh said about Herbert on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’s in a great place in all ways. I mean, you mentioned it; there’s a tremendous balance that he has. He’s locked, cocked, ready to rock, and he’s in a great place.”

The LA Chargers’ regular season kicks off on September 13 against the Arizona Cardinals, where it will be interesting to see how Justin Herbert lives up to the expectations of his head coach.