Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh made a truly incredible claim to his team over the offseason, as quarterback Justin Hebert told reporters on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of LA’s wild card round playoff matchup against the Texans, Herbert was asked to recall the first time he knew Harbaugh – who joined the franchise a year ago – was different. His answer was stunning.
‘I think when he talked about remembering the day that he was born,’ Herbert told reporters. ‘It was probably the first day that – he kind of told us the whole story and how he remembered looking out the window. And I think it was a cold, snow day.
‘And I really hope he does remember that, that’d be pretty cool.’
It’s not the first time that the somewhat eccentric Harbaugh has made a curious claim.
As told by former Michigan player Wilton Speight to Bleacher Report in 2018, Harbaugh once told him not to eat chicken ‘because it’s a nervous bird.’ (Harbaugh has since changed his stance on the animal).
Jim Harbaugh told his Chargers players that he remembered the day he was born
QB Justin Herbert recalled the anecdote on Tuesday and said it’d be ‘cool’ if it was true
Herbie had an immediate answer for this one 😅(via @chargers) pic.twitter.com/oDepO5sE9N
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2025
The 61-year-old, who won the national championship with Michigan before returning to the NFL, also raised eyebrows over the offseason as he revealed he was living in an RV for months in Huntington Beach, California.
‘Some of the nights when it’s raining – is there a better night’s sleep you can get?… put you right to sleep,’ Harbaugh said in a YouTube video.
The coach has done a masterful job turning around the Chargers, leading them to an 11-6 record and the league’s best scoring defense in his first year in charge.
Herbert has also had an incredibly efficient season under the quarterback, tossing 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
The pair will look to get their first playoff win together – and the first of Herbert’s career – when they travel to Houston to face C.J. Stroud and the Texans.
The game will kick off at 4:30ET on Saturday and is the first of the wild card round.
