The Los Angeles Chargers are going to look vastly different in 2024 than they have in years past. With Jim Harbaugh taking over as head coach, the team’s entire philosophy and approach is going to change.

We have already seen him putting an imprint on the team with how they handled the offseason. Harbaugh wants to play a smashmouth, run-first offense with a strong defense to control the clock and tempo.

In salary cap hell, the Chargers had a lot of work to do getting things in order money-wise. That led to a lot of Justin Herbert’s weapons being moved on.

Wide receiver Mike Williams was a cap casualty, while wide receiver Keenan Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears. Tight end Gerald Everett joined Allen in Chicago as a free agent. Running back Austin Ekeler signed with the Washington Commanders.

That is a lot of talent for one offense to lose in an offseason. The top receivers that Herbert now has to work with are Joshua Palmer, DJ Chark, Quentin Johnston and rookie Ladd McConkey.

In the backfield, the former Baltimore Ravens duo Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, who both have experience playing under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, will be handling the bulk of the work.

With so much uncertainty surrounding Herbert, it is no surprise that some people are down on him heading into the 2024 season. He possesses a world of talent, but with his supporting cast being weakened, his spot in the quarterback power rankings has dropped.

Over at CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin has shared his power rankings heading into Week 1. Los Angeles Chargers fans will not be thrilled seeing their guy come in at No. 11.

“After four years of impressive numbers but middling results, Herbert’s prototypical pocket-passing skills will have a new shepherd in the blue-collar Jim Harbaugh, whose anticipated prioritization of the ground game should help balance things out in L.A. How soon the wins follow is up for debate,” Benjamin wrote.

Seeing Herbert outside of the top 10 given his track record and what he has accomplished over his first four seasons in the NFL is surprising. That is a number that should be on the rise with Harbaugh as the head coach once they can get the supporting cast back up to par.

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