Months before Morgan Fox signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in May 2022, he said he was in love with quarterback Justin Herbert. Fox watched on television as Herbert converted deep fourth and third downs in a Week 18 game the Chargers played against the Raiders at the end of the 2021 season with a playoff spot on the line.

However, once he became Herbert’s teammate, Fox was excited to test Herbert’s skills. After a play during practice, Fox knocked a football out of Herbert’s hand. “I just wanted to see how he would react,” Fox said, smiling.

Herbert picked up the ball, hurled it at Fox and began shouting profanities at the defensive tackle. “I wanted to see that,” Fox said with a smile. “He always had that tone. You just have to talk to him.”

Herbert’s personality has long been the focus of critics, who question whether the 2020 first-round pick has the personality to lead an NFL locker room. In his fifth season in the league, players say Herbert has developed into a leader – a credit to his time in the NFL and a coach in Jim Harbaugh who has pushed Herbert to be more vocal.

With the Chargers at 7-3, their best start since the 2018 season heading into a “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET), Herbert could face legitimate competition for the first time in his career lead . At age 26, he may be playing the best football of his career with a different confidence and bravery that leaves the organization behind.

“I feel like everyone is having more fun this year. We have a good culture and Justin is definitely the leader,” offensive tackle Rashawn Slater told ESPN. “Whenever we see him have that energy, it’s very contagious. Since I’ve known Justin, he’s been the ultimate competitor, but I love that he’s a little livelier.”

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HERBERT spent four years Years at the University of Oregon, where he developed into one of the best players in the country in his final two seasons, throwing for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions and scoring in a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin in his final season.

Herbert’s play pushed him to the top of draft boards along with quarterbacks Joe Burrow of LSU and Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama.

There was little concern about Herbert’s play; Many experts simply pointed out that he would have to make quicker decisions against defensive measures in the future. The main problem was Herbert’s personality. His shy and reserved approach was a warning sign for a position where leadership was valued as much as performance.

“Most of the league was aligned with him,” former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock told ESPN. “He grew up just a few blocks from campus, so there was some concern about being the face of a franchise since he didn’t have a different worldview.”

When Herbert was asked if he would be ready to play in the NFL immediately, he told reporters, “I’m confident in my abilities, but I’ve never played in the NFL before, and so I want to give you an answer, if I could play.” At the moment I don’t think that would be in my best interest.

Then-ESPN analyst Emmanuel Acho cited this quote as a reason why Herbert could potentially be one of the “biggest mistakes of the draft.”

Ultimately, Herbert’s criticism didn’t seem to have much, if any, impact on his draft status, as the Chargers selected him with the sixth pick. He was the third quarterback acquired and was thrust into the starting lineup in Week 2 after Chargers team doctors accidentally punctured quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s lung before the game.

In that game, Herbert threw for 311 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III’s favorite highlight of the day came in the second quarter when Herbert tackled Chiefs linebacker Damien Wilson in a scramble. Pipkins called Herbert a “psycho” because he jumped back up and ran into the group without showing any emotion.

“As soon as he jumped, you could tell he had the leadership qualities you look for in a quarterback,” Pipkins said. “I think the more confidence he gets and the more he believes that we’re all behind him and looking to him for that leadership role… the more he continues to grow in that regard.”

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IN THE THIRD In the fourth quarter of the Chargers’ Week 10 game against the Tennessee Titans, Herbert blocked a sack attempt by Titans outside linebacker Ali Gaye before running for the Chargers’ first down. As Herbert crossed the first-down marker, he was met by linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., who appeared to give Herbert a significant hit.

As Murray drove Herbert to the ground, center Bradley Bozeman, running back Gus Edwards and fullback Scott Matlock sprinted over, clearly concerned. At the end of the carnage stood Herbert, his right arm pointing forward in celebration to signal a successful first down.

“I thought, ‘Oh, damn, Justin got hit. But then I just see him on the ground and he just signals to go down first and I was like, ‘I f—, I love that,'” Slater said with a smile. “He is the ultimate competitor. He feels no pain.”

Herbert’s first-down celebration has become standard during the Chargers’ four-game winning streak, as it has at several others. After a touchdown pass to wide receiver Ladd McConkey in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, for example, Herbert nodded his head almost cartoonishly before poking Pipkins in the chest.

Slater describes Herbert’s on-field persona as “carefree confidence”. Most players are intense and serious before games, but Herbert is usually calm and even playful.

“He’ll just joke around, chat on the sidelines and just crack jokes, and then hopefully we’ll do the crazy things you see and then he’ll talk his stuff,” Slater said. “This is a guy who could just flip a switch.”

Herbert is aware of the alter ego, telling reporters earlier this season after cameras caught him delivering an impassioned, profanity-filled speech before Week 1: “Football Justin is different.”

The passionate, taunting, celebrating Herbert that dominates the field this season is what Harbaugh is trying to get out of Herbert elsewhere. Since arriving, Harbaugh has showered Herbert with praise that has walked the line between admiration and obsession – and has given him a gentle nudge to be this team’s vocal leader.

It started in the offseason when Harbaugh had a gold practice jersey designed for Herbert so that defenders would stay “two and a half or three” yards away from Herbert to avoid injury, as opposed to the usual two yards for backup players. After Harbaugh’s speech after the Titans’ win, he pointed at Herbert with his arms outstretched: “Justin, just talk to us.”

“I have so much to say and so little time to say it,” Herbert said with a smile, “great job everyone.”

The moment was another example of Herbert reluctantly responding to Harbaugh’s affection and leadership push.

“It’s not really my style to want to do that,” Herbert said. “But the more you go through it, the less it bothers you and I think it’s cool to have a coach that supports you like that. I try to say as many good things about him as I can, but I think I’m outnumbered.”

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ALSO WITH THAT The signing of Harbaugh, the offseason departures of wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett made it seem like these Chargers, who won five games last season, would do so again this year would have problems.

Instead, the Chargers were one of the biggest surprises in this NFL, with an effective offense largely because Herbert was ready for it. It didn’t always look like this. The Chargers were 2-2 through four weeks with Herbert suffering from a severe ankle sprain as he entered Week 5 with career lows in completions, pass attempts and yards. In Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Herbert’s disappointment even boiled over on the sideline when he slammed his helmet into a bench several times.

But since returning from break, Herbert has been one of the best players in the NFL.

In his last six games, he averaged 268 passing yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. In his first four games of the season, Herbert averaged 144.5 yards per game.

As Herbert has gotten healthier, the Chargers have been able to put him under the spotlight more often and utilize more play-actions. Over the last six games, he has used play-action on 37% of his dropbacks, compared to 25% in the first four games of the season. Using play-action over the last six games, Herbert has 703 yards and three touchdowns. The 703 yards on play-action are the most in the NFL since Week 6.

“Enjoy it,” Harbaugh said. “Not only is he one of the best in the game right now, he’s also one of the best of all time. I don’t feel like I’m getting on my nerves at all when I say that.”

As the Chargers play the remaining eight games this season, their championship ambitions will likely depend largely on the skills of Herbert, who appears to be a more confident player and a willing leader in his fifth year, giving the Chargers confidence they haven’t had in some Time.

“I love seeing his growth. He always talked a little nonsense and partied a little, but I think he’s kind of coming into his own this year,” Fox said. “He is aggressive. He wants to win. He’ll be on people’s trail. He’s a headhunter. And I love him for it and I love watching it.”