Chargers QB Herbert fixing footwork, aims for quicker release

EL SEGUNDO, Calif -- Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said Tuesday that new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has been overhauling his footwork this offseason as part of an effort to speed up his release and get the ball out quicker.

Herbert did not throw a football during Tuesday's OTA practice, instead using a weighted green ball while working through throwing motions and footwork drills. Herbert said he expects to spend one day per week over the next few weeks focusing on footwork rather than throwing.

"I thought it was helpful for my footwork just to be able ... not to have to worry about throwing the ball right now," he said.

"Mechanically, it's a little different timing ... he wants the ball out early. We feel like that is going to help us get the ball out quicker."

Herbert said one of the biggest differences in McDaniel's offense is the stress on anticipation, and he is learning not to always rely on his arm strength.

"We really emphasized the first couple of weeks of just getting the ball out as quick as possible," he said. "Almost getting to a point where the receivers haven't looked back for it yet. And that just allows them to catch the ball with maximum ability to turn upfield and have time before a defender gets to them."

Shortly after McDaniel got the job, Herbert said McDaniel put together a presentation featuring a few hundred plays from Herbert's career and McDaniel's previous offenses, showing how certain concepts could have been executed differently.

"It was a well-put-together presentation that I really saw the vision, and it meant a lot to me," Herbert said.

McDaniel said last month that his goal is for Herbert to "own the position," and to do so McDaniel plans to maximize Herbert's success on passes with 2.4 seconds or less time to throw.

According to ESPN Research, Herbert threw six touchdowns to three interceptions last season on throws released within 2.4 seconds. Once plays extended into the intermediate timing window, between roughly 2.4 and 3.5 seconds, his efficiency dipped.

That emphasis has been evident at practice. On Tuesday, McDaniel almost didn't even look at the ball as Herbert and other quarterbacks were dropping back to make passes, looking at their feet and celebrating each time they performed to his standard.

For Herbert, the change comes after a particularly taxing season in which he was the NFL's most hit and pressured quarterback, spending most of his time running from defenders behind one of the league's worst offensive lines. But Herbert said Tuesday that many of those hits and pressures were his responsibility because of how long he held on to the ball in an attempt to make plays.

With the mindset shift -- and Pro bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning -- Herbert believes McDaniel's approach will help them improve significantly as an offense.

"I think he's just got a great feel for the game and I think he understands how defenses are ever changing and it's his goal to be able to take away the pass rush," Herbert said. "If you're getting the ball out quickly, there's really nothing they can do about it."