Robert Griffin III has landed himself in hot water for some of his more outlandish NFL takes and made the rounds around the league’s social media world more than a few times. The famed analyst and former professional quarterback took to X (formerly known as Twitter) again on Wednesday to give his thoughts on the Los Angeles Chargers‘ new head coach hire.
Robert Griffin III Praises Chargers’ Hiring Jim Harbaugh
Griffin posted his thoughts on Los Angeles’ decision to hire Jim Harbaugh, the now former University of Michigan head coach, and had plenty of praise for the move.
“Jim Harbaugh being the head coach of the Chargers may be the best thing that’s ever happened to Justin Herbert,” Griffin tweeted.
“Harbaugh will build the roster from the trenches out, is a master of establishing a GRIT BASED CULTURE and wins without asking the QB to be SUPERMAN EVERY PLAY.”
Jim Harbaugh being the Head Coach of the @chargers may be the best thing that’s ever happened to Justin Herbert. Harbaugh will build the roster from the trenches out, is a master of establishing a GRIT BASED CULTURE and wins without asking the QB to be SUPERMAN EVERY PLAY. pic.twitter.com/oByr7EMsB7
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 25, 2024
Harbaugh makes his return to the NFL after spending the last nine seasons coaching at Michigan. He led the Wolverines to six 10-win seasons in that span, including 12+ wins in each of the last three years capped off with a College Football Playoff National Championship win over Washington this past season.
Harbaugh was previously an NFL head coach for four seasons from 2011-14 with the San Francisco 49ers. He led the 49ers to three straight seasons with 11 or more regular-season wins and an appearance in Super Bowl 47, where they fell to a Baltimore Ravens team that was and remains led by his brother, John Harbaugh.
Harbaugh has a solid track record of getting the most out of his quarterbacks, including the likes of Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick during his time in San Francisco.
Smith was efficiently productive during the 2011 season, albeit on relatively low volume, before Kaepernick stepped in midway through the 2012 campaign amid the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl.
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Kaepernick threw for 1,814 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions that year while rushing for 415 yards and five more scores across 13 appearances, including seven starts.
That history could bode well for Harbaugh’s potential usage of Herbert, who has shown talent among the league’s top quarterbacks early in his career.
Herbert threw for more than 4,000 yards and 25+ touchdowns in each of his first three seasons in the league since taking over as the Chargers’ full-time starting QB in 2020. He was knocked out of the 2023 season early due to injury but still completed a respectable 65.1% of his passes for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Teamwide success has been hard to come by through Herbert’s first four seasons, however. Los Angeles has gone no better than 10-7 in those years, qualifying for the playoffs as a Wild Card team in 2022 with that record before falling in a narrow 31-30 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Chargers hope Harbaugh can be the one to get things turned around and translate Herbert’s skills into team success, something Griffin’s excitement indicates he believes the coach can accomplish.
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