For one reason or another, the Los Angeles Chargers haven’t been able to find much consistent success in recent years, despite the individual numbers put up by star quarterback Justin Herbert. But according to Herbert’s teammate, star left tackle Rashawn Slater, this is not a knock on Herbert as a leader.
In games that Herbert has started throughout his four-year career in Los Angeles, the Chargers shockingly have just a 30-32 record. Because of this, Herbert’s critics have been quick to call his leadership capabilities into question.
Slater seemingly disagrees entirely with this narrative about his quarterback, saying on Thursday that Herbert is a “very vocal leader”.
“It’s funny, everyone who calls Justin a quiet leader isn’t actually on the team, so they have no idea what his leadership is like,” Slater said on Thursday during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show. “Justin, he gets riled up. He talks s***. He’s vocal. He’s all those things. He’s a great leader. I also think people see more than they hear. Just the way he conducts his business, the way he goes about it, he’s always been a great leader.”
#Chargers All Pro OT Rashawn Slater on the false perception of Justin Herbert's leadership style 🗣️
"It's funny everyone that calls Justin a quiet leader isn't actually on the team… He gets riled up, he talks sh*t, he's vocal." @rdsl8r @heykayadams @OLMasterminds #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/iNFXeLtV7M
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 18, 2024
If you’re Herbert, you have to love the fact that you’re All-Pro offensive lineman in Rashawn Slater is sticking up for you here.
But still, the fact remains that the team success has simply not been there for the most part since Herbert has been in Los Angeles. That could change this coming season, as the Chargers made the big move to bring in established head coach Jim Harbaugh this offseason.
That being said, if the Chargers don’t experience much success in Harbaugh’s first year with the Chargers, Herbert could face even more scrutiny in the future.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.