Chargers new OC won't 'start from scratch' with Justin Herbert, offense

Rather than taking QB Justin Herbert back to the drawing board, new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will bank on minuscule changes.

"Justin has had a lot of success in his first few years. We want to make sure we build off that, not start from scratch," Moore said in a Monday news conference.

Moore is smart in deciding against drastically altering the 25-year-old QB after he shattered records through his first three seasons.

He set an NFL record for passing yards (14,089) through a player's first three seasons and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino as the only QBs to throw 90 or more TDs in their first three seasons.

Yet Herbert's TD total dipped slightly last season. He threw a career-low 25 TDs in 17 starts following a career-high 38 in 17 starts in 2021.

Although some of Herbert's struggles trace back to fractured rib cartilage he suffered in a Week 2 loss against Kansas City, Los Angeles felt it needed to move on from former OC Joe Lombardi. It fired him after a postseason loss to Jacksonville and hired Moore after he parted ways with Dallas.

The 33-year-old OC is a keen offensive mind. When he served as Dallas OC from 2019 to 2022, the Cowboys ranked top-six in scoring offense three times. 

He also played a pivotal role in the development of QB Dak Prescott. Prescott threw 30 or more TDs twice in four seasons under Moore, including a career-high 37 in 2021.

Along with Herbert, RB Austin Ekeler and WR Keenan Allen form a talented offensive core, so Moore only has to make minimal tweaks to maximize offensive firepower.