Dan Orlovsky Makes MVP Case For Justin Herbert Ahead of 2026 Season

Dan Orlovsky says Mike McDaniel can help Justin Herbert earn his first best player award.

Dan Orlovsky Makes MVP Case For Justin Herbert Ahead of 2026 Season

Justin Herbert and Dan Orlovsky inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

Over the years, Justin Herbert has shown that he is more than capable of carrying the Los Angeles Chargers to the playoffs. In 2025, Herbert finished with a 11-5 record, which was enough for the Chargers to finish second in the division and qualify for the playoffs.

In the offseason, the Chargers made arguably the biggest upgrade to their offense by appointing former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as the offensive play-caller. McDaniel got Tua Tagovailoa playing at a very high level. In 2023, the Dolphins led the league in points, and Tua finished as the league’s best passer with 4624 yards.

The Dolphins parted ways with McDaniel after back-to-back disappointing years. The Chargers quickly poached him before he took another head coaching gig.

Dan Orlovsky believes McDaniel can help Justin Herbert unleash his full potential.

One of the best offenses in the NFL, one of the most complete offenses in the NFL. I absolutely expect Justin Herbert to be in the MVP conversations deep into this season… The way that Mike McDaniel marries runs [and] pass, creates easy throws for quarterbacks that are not only completions but chunk throws—Justin Herbert should thrive. He has had unbelievable sick seasons… He should thrive in this offense.

Dan Orlovsky said in the latest episode of SportsCenter

Head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked to evaluate McDaniel’s first few months as the head of the offense, and Harbaugh had nothing but positives to say about his new subordinate.

I thought it was gonna be great… The respect I have for Mike and his work and what he has accomplished and earned and what I see in the tape… I just wanted that in our football team and everything he has brought has been better than I had hoped.

Jim Harbaugh said on the Pat McAfee Show

McDaniel and Chargers offensive line coach Butch Barry went to work on improving the line in front of Herbert. Last year, Herbert completed 66.4% of his passes for 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while playing behind the worst-rated offensive line in the league.

Former 5th overall draft pick Joe Alt spent the 2025 season in rehab after suffering a nasty ankle injury. Alt’s absence created a massive hole ahead of Herbert, who was sacked a career-high 54 times and fumbled the ball 7 times. LA’s other tackle, Rashawn Slater, also spent time in rehab after tearing his patellar tendon during practice.

To fix that issue, the Chargers added center Tyler Biadasz and guard Cole Strange to the roster. According to Pro Football Focus, the Chargers boast the 7th-best O-line heading into the 2026 season.

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NFL insider gives hopeful update for Justin Herbert’s protector

In March of 2026, the Chargers agreed to a three-year, $30-million contract with center Tyler Biadasz. He practiced as the Chargers’ possible starting center at camp. However, earlier this week, news broke that the 28-year-old suffered an ACL injury. He could miss the entire year.

Dan Orlovsky Makes MVP Case For Justin Herbert Ahead of 2026 Season
#10 Justin Herbert (Image via IMAGO)

While the Chargers look for a replacement, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that there’s still hope Biadasz might return to the team during the season.

He’s definitely gonna be out indefinitely. But there’s hope… that he will comeback later this season. We will see if he can.

Adam Schefter said on NFL Countdown

The Chargers lost to the San Francisco 49ers in their opening preseason game. Up next, they will face the Los Angeles Rams and finish their friendly adventure against the Arizona Cardinals on day 3.

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