Mike McDaniel is already making his presence felt for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The new Chargers offensive coordinator McDaniel has made a notable change for star quarterback Justin Herbert this offseason. McDaniel is having Herbert switch up his shotgun stance, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.
Herbert had previously been placing his right (throwing) foot forward while in the shotgun formation. However, McDaniel is now having Herbert stand in the shotgun with his left (non-throwing) foot slightly ahead instead.
McDaniel reportedly believes that the new stance will give Herbert a “millisecond competitive advantage” to execute option plays and to complete passes quickly to receivers out in space. You can read Rhim’s full report on the situation here.
The former Miami Dolphins head coach McDaniel just joined Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff this past January. He replaced former Chargers OC Greg Roman, who was fired by the team after two seasons in charge.
Meanwhile, the two-time Pro Bowler Herbert still has yet to win a playoff game in his NFL career and ranked second-worst in the league last season with 13 interceptions. Now McDaniel will be hoping that his minor tweak can help Herbert make a major improvement next season (as part of the big role that McDaniel is expected to have in L.A.).
