Welcome to Part 1 of our 2024 positional recaps, a series that will run through the next few weeks and highlight 11 Chargers position groups. We'll focus on key stats, memorable moments and look to what lies ahead in 2025.
Justin Herbert somehow managed to one-up himself in 2024.
The Chargers franchise quarterback put together one of his best seasons as a pro in his first year under Jim Harbaugh, all while displaying the toughness he's shown throughout his first five years in the NFL.
He suffered a severe right high ankle sprain early in the season that limited his mobility, and then endured another sprain to his left ankle in the final month of the season. Still, he gutted it out and put together quite the season for the Bolts.
And it's safe to say Harbaugh was fired up to see Herbert thrive throughout his first season with the team.
"It feels like you're around greatness every single day with Justin Herbert," Harbaugh said about Herbert midseason. "And there's still a long way to go."
"He's incredible. You run out of adjectives," Harbaugh later added. "Just a guardian of victory for our football team. Just in awe, really, most of the time. All of the time."
Despite finishing in the top 10 in passing yards, quarterback rating and pass EPA, it was Herbert's leadership that defined his season.
Aside from playing through injuries, he displayed more of the ‘Football Justin’ persona and led the Bolts throughout the season as an unquestioned leader of the team.
In Year 5, Herbert continued to grow in all facets.
"There's nobody in this entire organization who gives more blood, sweat and tears and contributes more, produces more for the organization than Justin Herbert," Harbaugh said.
Hortiz added: "I have not been around a quarterback like him. The work ethic, the determination, the leadership. It's awesome to see. He lifts others up and we want to bring more people around him to lift up."
The Bolts brought back quarterback Easton Stick in the offseason, but also made a trade before the regular season for veteran backup in Taylor Heinicke as insurance.
Heinicke ended up playing in four games, and most notably stepped in for Herbert when he exited a Week 3 in Pittsburgh.
Notable Number
One stat in particular stands out when showing the type of season Herbert had in 2024.
Herbert finished with three interceptions on 504 passing attempts, an interception percentage of just 0.6 percent — the second-fewest picks and second-best interception percentage in NFL history by any player in a season (min. 450 attempts).
His TD:INT ratio of 7.67 ranks eight all-time among quarterbacks who threw at least 15 touchdown passes in a season, as Herbert went 11 consecutive games with at least 15 attempts and zero interceptions, becoming just the second player in history to do so.
Memorable Moment
It's hard to pinpoint one moment in a season that was filled with them for Herbert.
Of course, there was the Week 16 primetime game against the Broncos where he unleashed one of the best throws of his career to Derius Davis. But we're going to go with one play that kick started the Bolts run to the playoffs in Week 8.
Late in a scoreless first quarter, the Chargers offense was off to a sluggish start and faced a two-point deficit.
That was, until Herbert took matters into his own hands.
As he dropped back to pass from his own 16-yard line, the Bolts quarterback tucked the football and ran, evading defenders along the way to a 38-yard burst, culminating with him putting his shoulder down and taking the contact to Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu.
Herbert had been playing through the severe high ankle sprain mentioned above in the weeks before this, and the run gave the Bolts a major boost in that game and the four-game win streak that followed.
"Inspirational play," Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said.
Safety Derwin James, Jr. added: "I was hyped. When he did it, it definitely energized the whole team. I like that type of stuff, man."
Regular-Season Stats
Justin Herbert
Completed 332 of 504 passes (65.9 percent) for 3,870 with 23 touchdowns, three interceptions and a passer rating of 101.7. Added in 69 rushes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Started all 17 games and played 1,045 offensive snaps (97.94 percent).
Taylor Heinicke
Completed three of five passes (60 percent) for 28 yards and a passer rating of 75.4. Added in two rushes for 20 yards. Played in four games and played 22 offensive snaps (2.06 percent).
Easton Stick
Did not play in regular season.
1 Question for 2025
How will Justin Herbert look in Year 2 of the Harbaugh era?
It wasn't the ending they might have hoped for, but there's plenty of reasons to be optimistic about what Herbert and the Chargers offense can look like in 2025.
Aside from seeing the strides the quarterback made in just one year under Harbaugh, he now gets to spend another year in Roman's offense.
It's just the second time in his young career that Herbert will get a full offseason with the same offense, a prospect that is exciting for the Bolts to see how it unfolds.
"We're excited about that," Harbaugh said. "We're excited about that very thing with the coaching staff. We're all coming back and excited about that to help build Version 2.0."
Of course, there's also the possibility of possible moves to help Herbert as he leads the offense, as the Chargers salary cap situation is different than last year's.
Hortiz talked about building around Herbert after their first year together at the season-ending press conference.
"I think with Justin and all the players, we want to support Justin the best we can," Hortiz said. "That's adding, building around him. You can support him in so many ways and to help him, you can help him with defense, you can help him with offense, offensive line, weapons, everything.
"That's how I view it," Hortiz added. "Let's make everyone around Justin better and Justin is going to keep getting better himself.
Whatever happens this offseason, the Chargers are excited to have No. 10 and help him in whatever way they can.
"He inspires you to do everything and anything to put him in the best possible position because he is doing anything and everything that he can for this team," Harbaugh said.
"Nobody does more for this team, this organization than Justin Herbert," Harbaugh added. "At all time, we're inspired to do anything and everything we can to put him in good positions."
