Joey Bosa Reveals Odd New Rule Jim Harbaugh Enacted to Protect Justin Herbert’s Hands

Karl Rasmussen | Sep 18, 2024

Harbaugh on the sidelines against the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Having manned the position during his own playing career, Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is well aware how important it is to keep a quarterback healthy.

According to Joey Bosa, Harbaugh has put in place some unusual new rules in order to ensure Justin Herbert––and his hands in particular––remain in good condition.

Bosa told Alex Insdorf of Bolt Breakdowns that Harbaugh has instructed Herbert to stop giving teammates high fives when he's coming off the field in order to protect his hands.

Even for Harbaugh, this is a peculiar request. But it shows just how far he's willing to go to keep his quarterback on the field. The likelihood of Herbert hurting his hand while high-fiving his comrades is slim to none, but those are odds Harbaugh isn't willing to roll the dice on.

Herbert suffered a broken index finger that sidelined him for the final four games of the 2023 regular season. While he is seemingly fully recovered after undergoing surgery to repair the finger, Harbaugh is taking a bubblewrap-like approach with his star quarterback's hands.

Harbaugh has the Chargers off to a 2–0 start during his first season as the franchise's head coach. Through two games, Herbert has completed 67.4% of his passes for three touchdowns and just one interception.

If those results mean no more high-fives between Herbert and his teammates, then so be it.

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