FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
A stark disconnect emerged in the Los Angeles Chargers’ locker room after a crushing playoff exit Sunday night, pitting head coach Jim Harbaugh’s defiant optimism against quarterback Justin Herbert’s deepening uncertainty.
Following a 16-3 wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, Harbaugh told his team, “Those that stay will be champions,” framing the defeat as a beginning, not an end. Yet his somber tone at the podium undercut the message.
When Herbert took his turn, the weight of a third consecutive playoff loss—and the franchise’s prolonged postseason drought—was palpable. Asked if he remained confident he could lead a playoff run, the quarterback offered a weary, “I don’t know.”
“I haven’t figured it out yet, and it hasn’t happened,” Herbert admitted. “So we’ll have to re-evaluate it and see what happens.”
His uncertainty followed another dismal postseason performance. A year after throwing four interceptions in a blowout loss, Herbert managed only a single field goal against the Patriots, completing 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards while leading the team in rushing—a testament to an offense that again failed when it mattered most.
By James Kisoo
