In his introduction press conference on Tuesday afternoon from The Bolt in El Segundo, Calif., new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel spoke on his vision for quarterback Justin Herbert next season.
Herbert will be entering his seventh season with the Bolts and is coming off a season in which he recorded 3727 yards on 66.4% of his throws, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in just 16 games played. He also ran for 498 yards and two scores on 83 attempts with four fumbles. However, the former Oregon Duck took a career-high 54 sacks behind a constantly rotating offensive line.
I think you have a competitive player that each and every year is trying to get better at his craft. I think he hasn't neared the ceiling of what he's capable of, he can make every throw. But as a competitor, you can tell he enjoys what the National Football League and franchise quarterback, all the burden that is the responsibility of touching the ball every play and need to be your best when your best is required. That's something that I'm always looking for in players in general, how they perform post-halftime. There's a lot that we can be capable of with him leading the charge. Extremely excited for that opportunity.
McDaniel continued his praise when asked what his plan is for Herbert to elevate his game to a new level next season, saying he intends to create a system that will allow the entire offense to continuously build their skill set in the latter parts of the year.
I think with a skillset such as Justin's, you can do a lot of things on the ground and in the air that can really put defenses in a bind. I think there's a lot of tools in place, I think it's important to have a good offseason, which we plan to do, and I think what you're working with is something that will be unique to its own. I'm excited to see where the offense goes and how it evolves through the skillsets of these players.
The biggest thing is we want to create a system of offense where guys can really feature their skillsets, evolve their game and be their best in December and January, which is the whole point when you're playing elimination games. Whether you're playing to get in the playoffs or you're in the playoffs, we're going to have an offense that evolves to the point that our most efficient self and our best self will be then, with these young players we have here.
While McDaniel does bring a fresh and exciting offensive mind to the Chargers' offensive attack, there is a lot of work to do in the offseason to build the Bolts into a true contender next fall, including adding to the offensive line and creating depth at skill positions.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel lays out plan for QB Justin Herbert
