The last time Justin Herbert and the Chargers beat the Chiefs in the regular season was in 2021, when he threw four touchdowns and carried the team with ease. What came after was a nightmare: a 0-7 skid. Herbert missed one game, but in the six losses he played, he threw 10 touchdowns, five interceptions, and was sacked 17 times– a result of shaky protection amid Kansas City’s relentless pressure.  They lost All-Pro left tackle Rashawn Slater to injury, too, and no blindside wall meant no chance. Fast forward to Week 1 in São Paulo and the Chargers flipped that script with a 27-21 win.

In Week 1, Herbert finally had room to operate: 318 yards, three passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. The difference came from Joe Alt. Rather than reshuffling veterans, Jim Harbaugh entrusted the 22-year-old rookie (originally drafted as a right tackle) with protecting Herbert’s blindside. And Alt delivered, going 41 pass-blocking snaps against Chris Jones and the Chiefs’ fearsome front without allowing a single pressure. With the rookie holding the line, pressure on Herbert dropped to 31.3% of dropbacks, and the Chargers finally snapped their streak.

Alt has already received plenty of praise for his role. But more recently, when Herbert sat down with Mark Sanchez on NFL on Fox and was asked to name his top three teammates, Alt immediately claimed the No. 1 spot. “I would say, number one goes to Joe Alt,” Herbert said. “The transition from right tackle to left tackle has got to be one of the toughest things in playing left tackle. In general, (it) has got to be one of the toughest positions in football, and it was real quiet on that side.

“And I think that’s always a good thing. You don’t have to worry about the left side. He’s just a special player to be able to pick that up, and the way he competes run game, pass game, he definitely gets one.” Herbert’s statement isn’t without merit or based on a one-off record. 

While it’s impossible to put up a perfect outing in football, the second-year tackle was still close to perfect against the Chiefs. Pro Football Focus rated him among the best pass protectors in Week 1, giving him a top pass-blocking grade among tackles (91.4). He also ranked seventh among all offensive tackles who played at least 50 snaps in total offense grade (74.9) after playing every one of the team’s 65 offensive snaps. Even the head coach acknowledged this development. 

“I’ve been saying it, as well as Joe played last year, he’s maybe been our most improved player this season.. It showed Week 1… No matter who they put over him, he got his job done. Whether it was pass protection, run blocking, [or] pulling,” Harbaugh said.  Safe to say the 22-year-old has managed to catch the attention of his quarterback and the HC in just the first game of the season. 

The second on Herbert’s list was Quentin Johnston. Fair enough. “Just every part of his game is elite,” Harbaugh had said in the offseason, and proving the HC right, he led the Chargers in yards and “had two huge touchdowns made,” as per Herbert. But Herbert’s third pick is sure to raise some eyebrows. It’s Teair Tart, after all. 

Justin Herbert addressed Teair Tart slapping Travis Kelce’s helmet

Tart managed to make the headlines like Alt. Except, with just one tackle made in the entire game, he had attention for smacking Travis Kelce’s helmet during the third quarter. The referees penalized him 15 yards for unnecessary roughness but did not eject him, ruling the contact an open-hand slap rather than a punch. 

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was visibly frustrated by the incident and questioned the consistency of officiating– especially given the NFL’s renewed focus on penalizing unsportsmanlike conduct this season. Tart, meanwhile, didn’t offer any apology. Instead, he took to Instagram, posting photos and clips from the game alongside a still from the movie How High, showing a character getting slapped in the face, with the caption: “I’m too swift with it even in Brazil…” Herbert later addressed the incident when co-host Mark Sanchez brought up his third pick.

When co-host Mark Sanchez brought up Herbert’s third pick, he quipped, “Defensively, maybe Teair Tart getting handsy….Pun intended.” Herbert smiled and played along: “Pun intended. He’s got to avoid any confrontation. I’d just say the defense in general, I think they get a game ball.” Sanchez laughed, adding, “Good save.” 

Now, after a strong Week 1 showing, Justin Herbert and the Chargers shift their attention to the Raiders in Week 2, looking to build on their early momentum.