Chargers News: Assistant Coach Penned Candid Justin Herbert Review Before Joining LA

A risky pre-hire move.

Bizarre new Los Angeles Chargers hire Marc Trestman, who's been out of the NFL for seven seasons following a miserable 13-19 two-year stint as the head coach of a few disastrous Jay Cutler-Brandon Marshall era Chicago Bears squads, had a variety of different gigs in between his stints in the league.

One was writing for The 33rd Team, for whom he penned a breakdown of his new colleague Justin Herbert's game just two months ago. Herbert at the time was being dogged by criticisms related both to his team's cumulative performance and to Herbert's trouble closing games out late. Happily, it turns out Herbert's future coach Trestman was indeed a fan of his future charge:

"His courage, toughness and composure in the pocket consistently stand out," Trestman wrote. "There were less than a handful of reckless or forced throws and, in most cases, he could make the correct decision under extreme duress."

"None of this is new information, by the way. Herbert has been excellent throughout all four years of his career with the Chargers," Trestman continued. "In my opinion, the narrative that he has regressed is not backed up by the tape — he’s still performing like a top-five NFL quarterback."

As LA's senior offensive assistant, Trestman will be working closely alongside Herbert to ensure the club avoids a repeat of its 5-12 disaster of a season in 2023.