Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh arose one morning with a clear goal.
"I woke up the other day and said, 'I got to get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. Must get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame,' " Harbaugh told the Rich Eisen Show last week, . "It's one of those things you wake up at 3:30, 4 in the morning. Sometimes, that's when your best ideas come."
There is a lot of work to be done to realize that dream.
Since taking over in L.A. last year, Harbaugh has been effusive in his praise of Herbert. The Chargers went 11-6 in their first year together, earning a playoff bid.
Under Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Chargers want a grinding running game to take pressure off the quarterback but still count on the big-armed passer in key spots.
Herbert attempted 504 passes, fewest in his five seasons in which he played more than 13 games. He completed 65.9 percent of those tosses for 3,870 yards with 23 touchdowns and a career-low three interceptions.
Harbaugh's crack-of-dawn goal of getting Herbert to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is simultaneously a personal goal -- to get there, a Super Bowl or two could be necessary.
"You kind of process that, that would mean winning a couple of Super Bowls and a lot of people would benefit from that," Harbaugh said. "That's a worthy goal, and I think it's necessary we get him surrounded with as many good football players to his level as possible."
To that end, the Chargers spent the offseason upgrading the running game, signing Najee Harris in free agency and drafting Omarion Hampton in the first round. L.A. also brought back Mike Williams and selected wideout Tre Harris in the second round. The additional pieces should immediately upgrade a Chargers offense that stalled at times in Harbaugh's first season.
In five seasons, Herbert has been to the postseason twice. The first was an epic collapse against Jacksonville. The second was a four-INT disaster in Houston last season. To get to that Super Bowl with Harbaugh, he'll have to first get off the playoff schneid.
