Chargers OL Shoots Down Biggest Justin Herbert Narrative

Herbert has been criticized in this area before.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has long been viewed by many outside of the team as a 'quieter' quarterback or a quiet leader. His personality has come into question over the years, with scouts and analysts before the 2020 NFL Draft wondering if he was too "quiet," and Desmond Howard asked if he could win over a locker room like Joe Burrow, per Mina Kimes of ESPN.

Herbert's brother, Mitch, has previously said that Justin is an introvert, and it's known that he isn't the first to talk about himself, much less praise his own accomplishments. Still, that doesn't mean Herbert falls into the category of shy or quiet.

Herbert's teammate, offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, further debunked the narrative that Herbert is a quiet or poor leader while speaking with Kay Adams of "Up And Adams" at the OL Masterminds summit.

"It's funny everyone who calls Justin a quiet leader isn't actually on the team," Slater said on the Up & Adams Show. "They have no idea what his leadership is like. He gets riled up, he talks sh*t, he's vocal. He's all those things, he's a great leader. I also think people see, they see more than they hear. The way he conducts his business, he's always been a great leader."

#Chargers All Pro OT Rashawn Slater on the false perception of Justin Herbert's leadership style 🗣️

"It's funny everyone that calls Justin a quiet leader isn't actually on the team... He gets riled up, he talks sh*t, he's vocal." @rdsl8r @heykayadams @OLMasterminds #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/iNFXeLtV7M

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 18, 2024

It's clear that the Chargers buy into their franchise quarterback, not the narratives from outside of the organization questioning his ability as a player or leader. They see his hard work and intelligence in the building day in and day out, and there's a reason they signed him to a then record-breaking $262.5 million extension. Head coach Jim Harbaugh, along with many other Chargers, hold nothing but praise for Herbert, with Harbaugh previously calling Herbert the 'crown jewel' of the NFL.

After all, Herbert is the quarterback who set the rookie passing touchdowns record, threw for over 5,000 yards in just his second NFL season, and became the first quarterback in NFL history to begin his career with back-to-back 30-touchdown seasons. Who wouldn't believe in that kind of player?

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