New NFL Rumors on Justin Herbert in Mike McDaniel's 'Incredibly Complex' Offense amid Chargers' Woes

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport feels the Los Angeles Chargers' 0-2 start to the season is in part because quarterback Justin Herbert is still adapting to working with his new offensive coordinator.

"Mike McDaniel's offense— My understanding is, it's incredibly complex, probably more complex than people realize, which may explain why Justin Herbert has not looked like themselves," Rapoport said Sunday on NFL Game Day Morning.

"What they'd like to do... is get Herbert to just take the check down from time to time."

After opening the season with losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers are looking to bounce back Sunday with a 1 p.m. ET matchup at the Buffalo Bills.

Herbert has completed less than 60 percent of his passes while throwing for 401 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions over that span.

He hasn't been the only member of the Chargers offense struggling. After seven penalties and two turnovers in a season-opening loss to the Cardinals, the Bolts fumbled six times and took eight penalties against the Raiders.

"We've got some growing pains," head coach Jim Harbaugh said the day after the Week 2 loss.

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The Chargers hired McDaniel this offseason after he was fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a team that ranked among the NFL's top offenses during McDaniel's first two years with the program in 2022 and 2023.

When asked earlier this week if he was considering simplifying his offense ahead of Week 3 with his new team, McDaniel acknowledged he was but added he was trying not to "overreact."

"My expectation would be we'd be building a foundation for the best play in December, and elimination football," McDaniel said.

About working with Herbert, McDaniel said the circumstances of the Chargers' 0-2 start "have forced our hand into a lot of tape and conversations that I'm much closer to him now than I was two weeks ago."

"Two games in, I have a better idea of what guys are comfortable with right now," McDaniel said.

The Chargers will now hope that experience will allow McDaniel to help Herbert and the rest of his offense take advantage of a Week 3 matchup against a Bills defense that ranks 30th in passing yards allowed through two games.