Justin Herbert Not Ducking Patrick Mahomes In AFC West Next Year

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Armed with the premiere coaching free agent of the offseason (with apologies to the past-their-prime likes of Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll) and an up-and-coming front office wunderkind in Joe Hortiz, your Los Angeles Chargers are looking to rebound from a miserable 5-12 run in 2023.

To hear the Chargers’ former No. 2 overall draft pick Ryan Leaf tell it (let’s just not talk about whom the Indianapolis Colts selected ahead of him back in 1998, shall we?), though that may not mean LA is quite ready to overtake the Kansas City Chiefs — the best team in not only its own division (the AFC West) but indeed the football world at large (they’ve won two straight Super Bowls and three in the last four years) — Pro Bowl Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert isn’t exactly living in fear of his Chiefs counterpart, two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes.

 

“…There’s nothing I’ve seen in Los Angeles, in Las Vegas or in Denver that’s going to change that dynamic [of Kansas City being the best team in the division] next year,” Leaf opined. “Now, someone can surprise you, right? Someone could do something really, really different.”

“And you’re and in my case, and in this specifically, I’m assuming in your guys’ case, you hope it’s the Los Angeles Chargers with Jim Harbaugh on his first year,” he continued. “That’s what that’s what you’re hoping. I know Justin has no fear going into Arrowhead. That’s a rare thing to have. He doesn’t he has zero fear going into Arrowhead and battling Patrick Mahomes. When you’ve got a quarterback that’s capable of doing that, that gives you a shot, that gives you a chance.”

LA finished with a paltry 5-12 record last year under then-head coach Brandon Staley and his interim successor Giff Smith. With Jim Harbaugh in tow and Hortiz putting in work behind the scenes, Leaf’s optimism for Herbert and Los Angeles sure looks justified to us.