Everyone remembers the wild-card game in January 2023, when the Los Angeles Chargers led the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-0 and lost 31-30. Fans remember how quarterback Justin Herbert showed little to no pressure during the game. No visible panic, no fire, just the same even-keeled face as the lead evaporated. For years, that stoicism was labeled poise. Now, with the Chargers struggling again, 3x Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman is reading it differently.

“I think there’s a lot of things wrong with this. And it’s not just McDaniel,” Edelman said on the Gronk & Jules Show. “It’s how the offense is formulated, what kind of players they have in the offense, injuries with the offense, lines beat up again. Herbert seems to be in a blender mentally. Looks like he’s got the worst body language I’ve ever seen. Oh, it ain’t great. You know, at 13 turnovers [Turnover-Worthy Plays] this year. That’s like a season’s worth. I was just going to say we’re only a season’s worth.

“Gosh, they haven’t been able to find anything in, you know, the run game other than in, like, garbage time. The pass game is tough. There’s a lot of pre- snap penalties. There’s a lot of guys that look like they don’t know what they’re doing. There’s a lot of guys in the same area on past concepts. A lot of drops. I don’t think it’s just on McDaniel.”

The Los Angeles Chargers are struggling with a 0–5 start to the 2026 NFL season. Despite preseason hype surrounding head coach Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the team sits at the bottom of the AFC West.

The Chargers are struggling on offense, averaging just 16.8 PPG (30th in the NFL), with QB Justin Herbert seemingly struggling to adapt to McDaniel’s coverage-based reads and new system.

For context, Herbert has accounted for 13 turnover-worthy plays, with 9 coming in the fourth quarter alone. Bad decisions, locking onto targets, and late throws have plagued his execution under pressure.

Julian Edelman is a three-time Super Bowl champion who spent 12 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots. While he expressed his displeasure with Justin Herbert’s body language, the former Patriots star isn’t the only one questioning the QB’s performance.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner called out Justin Herbert on The Rich Eisen Show for his mental errors. Warner pointed out multiple instances where Herbert dropped back and threw the ball right to a defender.

“Again, this is all speculation here, but when I watch Justin Herbert the last couple weeks drop back and throw the ball right to a defender numerous times, we’re all looking at these plays like what is he looking at? How could he not see that defender that’s right where he threw it? He hit him in the numbers.

“And I wonder sometimes if that’s Justin not focusing on defenders and looking at his receiver going, ‘OK, I gotta make this throw to the receiver.’ And all of a sudden, as he’s making the throw, the defender is sitting right there because he’s not focusing on defenders and he’s focusing on his receivers.”

Despite the criticism, Justin Herbert has expressed confidence in Harbaugh and McDaniel.

“I think Mike is the greatest, and I want to make him proud and do everything I can to pick up the offense and do exactly what he asks.”

Justin Herbert has thrown for 937 yards in five games this season. Next up, the QB and the Los Angeles Chargers face the Kansas City Chiefs on October 18, where everyone will scrutinize Herbert’s performance.