The Chargers could put Justin Herbert in a tough spot again. After a disappointing 2025 season, the team still has questions around its offensive line and overall support. That has raised concerns about Herbert’s future; that’s why a former Chargers defensive tackle wants him to leave the team.

“I would love it if Justin Herbert just decided to walk away,” Chargers former defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko said on The Breiden Fehoko Show. “Last week I said I don’t care, and I’d not be surprised if he does decide to do that. A week later, after seeing this Chargers starting offense go out there against the San Francisco 49ers, go three-and-out, and then you still have that same offensive line running it back a drive later against Tre Lance, and they’re just obviously getting smoked and rope-a-doped and flipped, turned, bamboozled in there.

“So, I am telling the Chargers front office, I hope Justin Herbert either leaves that poverty-a– organization or he retires because you guys do not deserve him and you guys are neglecting the kid—or man, sorry, he is not a kid.”

The offensive line has been a major problem for the team. Last year, Justin Herbert was sacked 54 times and also faced 263 pressures, the most in the NFL. He was pressured on 43.9% of his dropbacks, which was the second-highest rate among 184 quarterbacks. The Chargers also used 27 different offensive line combinations, tied with the Saints for the most in the NFL.

The Chargers tried to fix this by moving Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman between guard and center to find the best combination. Nothing seemed to work.

Colin Cowherd, on his show, drew a parallel between Herbert and Patrick Mahomes’ failures because they both lacked a good offensive line. The analyst also landed a sharp jab at the team by calling Herbert a “piñata.” He was pressured on 39% of his dropbacks against the Texans, who sacked him five times, intercepting him once.

“He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Quarterback’s got to be able to do that, and we didn’t put him in the position to do that enough.”

It’s not like the Chargers didn’t invest in their offensive line. They had drafted six offensive linemen, including three in the first round. However, they remained notoriously quiet during free agency; the Chargers’ flashiest signing was center Tyler Biadasz, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract. However, the team was dealt a tough return, as the center has been ruled out for the season.

“When you’re invested in players and you see short term adversity, it’s rough,” head coach Mike McDaniel said.

Now, Jake Slaughter has taken over at center. This vacates the left guard spot, too, which he was also competing for. Kayode Awosika is expected to move here, after competing for the spot throughout camp. The only bright spots on this offensive line are starters Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, who are returning after getting injured last year.

Despite all of it, Herbert was very good in the 2025 season. He threw 10 touchdown passes while being pressured, tied for the most in the NFL. He also threw 10 touchdowns while running outside the pocket and 10 while on the move, both the most in the NFL. He also led the league with seven touchdown passes on plays that lasted more than four seconds.

However, despite the personal wins, Herbert will still need an O-line that he can depend on. After the Chargers played the 49ers in the preseason, ESPN’s Kris Rhim noted that the “interior offensive line struggled, and the passing offense wasn’t great.”

Should Justin Herbert be tempted to look at other teams? It all depends on how he fares with the new offensive line at Los Angeles.