The Los Angeles Chargers are absolutely buzzing with hype this upcoming NFL season, and honestly, a huge chunk of that energy is thanks to Mike McDaniel landing as their new coach. The team already had a good vibe, but adding McDaniel has pushed that excitement to a whole new level. As they gear up for their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, all the reporting is, you guessed it, full of hype. But here’s the kicker, folks: a recent report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, while fueling that Chargers frenzy, also dropped a brutal indictment on former Miami Dolphins and now Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. This one makes Tua look a whole lot worse.
McDaniel’s Playbook Unleashed By Herbert’s Arm
Rapoport’s report pulls back the curtain on something wild. He says his “understanding is there are some plays, a lot of plays, that he has never been able to call, that we are going to see this year because he has Justin Herbert with the arm to do it.” Think about that for a second! McDaniel is finally going to “unleash and unlock so much of [his] playbook that he has not been able to call for years.” This isn’t just about a coaching change, it’s about completely freeing up a brilliant offensive mind. Chargers fans should be absolutely losing their minds with excitement right now. To hear that Herbert is talented enough to open up parts of McDaniel’s offense that have been locked away, especially considering how great McDaniel was as a coordinator before this, is massive. What kind of plays have we been missing? We’re about to find out, and that’s seriously exciting for anyone who loves high-powered offense.
A Brutal Truth for Tua Tagovailoa
Now, while all this is fantastic news for the Chargers, it hits different for Tua Tagovailoa. It’s no secret that Tua has had issues with his arm strength and isn’t exactly a downfield passing specialist, but Rapoport’s report frames it in such a stark way. It’s essentially reporting that Tagovailoa just wasn’t a talented enough passer to fully maximize McDaniel’s playbook or his ability as a play-caller. That’s a tough pill to swallow for any player. This is a rough report for Tagovailoa, especially considering he won’t even be playing in Week 1 due to an oblique injury he picked up during Falcons practice. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: Herbert is stepping in to unlock what Tua couldn’t.
This kind of raw reporting, as brutal as it is for Tagovailoa, is exactly what Chargers fans live for. Herbert is incredibly talented, and if he can help McDaniel unleash even more of his offensive playbook than what we saw with the Dolphins, where McDaniel still made that offense look great, then the sky’s the limit. Get ready for some fireworks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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