Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert may not have achieved NFL glory in their two years together. However, they have built a distinctive pregame ritual that has become a hallmark of their partnership.

During a segment on Sports Central LA, host Darren M. Haynes asked Harbaugh to do the hype move with him, with shoulder pads on, just like he does with Herbert. As the head coach did that, Haynes exclaimed, “He hits them kind of hard. No wonder why Justin Herbert was thrown off the first time you did that.”

“No, Justin, it makes me feel weak when I do that to Justin. Because it’s just like, is that all you got? I mean, he’s a beast,” Harbaugh replied on Sports Central LA.

Harbaugh and Herbert have been bonding well since the head coach joined in 2024. That year, he started this tradition of slapping and pushing hard on the QB’s shoulder pads. According to ESPN, Herbert actually thought the head coach was coming in for a hug, but Harbaugh kept with his slapping-the-shoulder-pads routine.

“I thought it was a moment to like, ‘Hey, let’s go get this. Dap up,'” Herbert said in 2024. “But he hit me a couple times, and I thought that was it. And then he kept going back for more. I’ll be much better the next time.”

This signature move of Harbaugh, aka Captain Comeback, comes from his Chicago Bears teammate, running back Walter Payton. The RB used to do this to calm the then-QBs’ nerves during his NFL career.

But this move has helped Herbert come out of his shell and embrace the spotlight.

“Justin has always hated cameras and things where he’s the center of attention,” left tackle Rashawn Slater said in 2024. “But I see him smiling when [Harbaugh] does it, so I’m like, that must be a sign that he really respects Coach.”

For Harbaugh, building a strong bond with Herbert has been a top priority. Over the past two years, he has made it clear he wants to be a “best friend” to his QB, recently remarking that he’d follow Herbert to “hell and back.”

However, that chemistry has yet to yield playoff success. After consecutive Wild Card exits over the last two years, the Chargers will begin their 2026 season facing the Houston Texans in preseason action.