Chargers review: QB Justin Herbert needed help, but didn’t get it Sunday

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert looked like a beaten man after the team’s 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night, ending another otherwise stellar season in the AFC wild-card round for the second consecutive season and for the third time in four seasons. He looked spent physically and emotionally.

Here’s what else we learned, what we heard and what comes next after Coach Jim Harbaugh referred to Herbert as a “warrior” despite a subpar game in which he seemed too eager to run from the pocket instead of picking out his targets or simply throwing away the ball to avoid some tough hits:

HELP WANTED

Herbert’s value to the Chargers is undeniable. He takes hits, gets up and takes another one. He is a warrior in every sense of the word. The trouble is, he hasn’t produced the sort of results required to win a playoff game in three trips to the postseason, and especially this one.

It would be simple to blame his 19-for-31 passing for 159 yards on his fractured left, non-throwing hand, but he wouldn’t go there. It would be easy to fault the Chargers’ offensive line, decimated by season-ending injuries to top tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but Herbert wasn’t having it.

The blame also might fall on the shoulders of offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and Harbaugh said he would have to take a look at “everything” during a second consecutive extended offseason in his two seasons as the Chargers’ head coach. Roman’s play-calling was conservative at its best Sunday, unimaginative at its worst.

Asked specifically about playing his first season with Roman and the Chargers (11-7), right guard Mekhi Becton told reporters on Monday, including the Southern California News Group’s Mirjam Swanson, “There’s a lot of different things I’m not used to. That’s all I can say. There’s a lot of different things I’m not used to.”

When asked if ever found his comfort level in Roman’s game plan during the season, Becton said, “No. We haven’t talked about it. We didn’t talk about it after the game, so I don’t know. It was just different. That’s all I got. I’m not going to go into everything. So, yeah, it was just different.”

Herbert, 27, has thrown for thousands of yards during six excellent regular seasons, but something is amiss when it comes to the playoffs. Herbert couldn’t say why and how he might move forward after failing to pad his postseason resume. Who could blame him? He looked shaken as he spoke after the game.

He looked in need of a long rest, which he will now get.

O-LINE HEALTH

Assuming all goes to plan in the offseason, the Chargers’ offensive line will be healthy, rested and ready to protect Herbert as needed for the 2026 season (nine different O-line combinations played at least 50 snaps together this season amid the injuries). Changes are inevitable, though Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz will likely address those concerns in the days to come.

“We’re going to be able to protect ‘10’ like we’re supposed to,” Becton said, referring to Herbert by his uniform number and to the notion that Alt and Slater will be sound for the start of the ’26 season, joining Becton and center Bradley Bozeman but perhaps not left guard Zion Johnson, a pending free agent.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Unlike their wonky offense, there was nothing wrong with the Chargers’ defense down the stretch and even during their loss Sunday. After all, they gave up an average of 16.9 points per game over their final six regular-season games plus their wild-card loss to the Patriots, one of the NFL’s top offenses.

In fact, the Chargers held the Patriots to 12 points below their regular-season average of nearly 29 points per game, the second-highest in the NFL. They held the Patriots without a touchdown until quarterback Drake Maye tossed a 28-yard TD pass to tight end Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter.

The question now is will the Chargers’ defense be as sound and productive if defensive coordinator Jesse Minter departs for one of the many head coaching positions around the NFL? Will outside linebacker Khalil Mack continue his Hall of Fame-caliber career next season?

“I’m not trying to make that decision right now like I’ve almost done before,” Mack said last season of thinking about retirement before re-signing. “Just as present as possible. Make a decision on how I’m feeling, how my family is feeling. Vibes, if the vibes are high, just figuring it out day by day.”

STATE OF THE ROSTER

The Chargers have 27 players slated to be free agents.

Besides Mack and veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, other unrestricted free agents include running back Najee Harris (a torn Achilles tendon in Week 3 ended his season), backup QB Trey Lance (made one start in Week 18 while Herbert rested), outside linebacker/edge rusher Odafe Oweh, offensive lineman Trey Pipkins, linebacker Denzel Perryman and defensive tackle Teair Tart.

The Chargers have effective salary cap space of $103 million, according to overthecap.com.

They also have five picks in this year’s NFL draft (April 23-25), with compensatory selections announced later. They have selections in each of the first four rounds and another in the sixth. Their fifth- and seventh-round picks were previously traded for Oweh and safety Elijah Molden.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Another long offseason looms for the Chargers, with plenty of adjustments to the roster and another chance for Hortiz to conduct another fruitful draft in late April. The interior of the offensive line needs upgrades. More playmakers are necessary, too. Standing pat, running it back, won’t get it done for ’26.