Recently Pro Football Focus posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a comment that new Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hayden Hurst had said about the lack of a running game for quarterback Justin Herbert.

Hurst said, “I mean, you give him [Herbert] a run game and he’s going to be able to throw it all over the place.”

This quote does make sense as establishing a run game is very key to opening up an entire offense. The ability to run play action off of the run is truly important in the NFL. If you do not believe me, just watch any Matt Canada led Pittsburgh Steelers offense from last year – the proof is in the film.

These comments have fueled a debate and many fans are very much intrigued on why Hurst had these remarks.

There is now a narrative that the Chargers never surrounded their signal-caller with a strong running game and that is up for a strong debate.

The Chargers Did Have a Strong Running Game For Herbert 

The organization had a running back by the name of Austin Ekeler, you may have heard of him as he was a fantasy football gem in recent memory.

Ekeler has since signed a contract in the offseason with the Washington Commanders, and he will soon improve their running game tenfold, especially in the red zone.

The 28-year-old back during his Chargers career rushed for 4,419 yards and 71 touchdowns (playoffs included). While Ekeler did not have a single 1,000 yard season during his seven season stint with the team, he was beyond productive and contributed to the team’s success.

The Chargers Did NOT Have a Strong Running Game For Herbert 

Another perspective to this question of whether the Chargers really lacked a running game for their franchise quarterback comes from a statistic.

This statistic that will be placed below in a graphic form, displays just how bad the Chargers’ run efficiency has been over the last decade.

I’m a firm believer in that player statistics do not always paint the big picture. The fans on social media immediately were mentioning Ekeler’s name, but the rushing efficiency for each NFL offense since 2012 shows an extremely poor rushing success rate for the Chargers.

Hebert will have a much better system in place with new head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff providing strong football knowledge and teaching.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman is known for his ability to establish a strong rushing attack and his presence will only help fade away from this narrative. While Hurst’s comments really bothered several individuals, it is best to look at all of the data before just mentioning one football players name. We are talking about an athlete who is no longer on the team, and who in his seven season NFL career has yet to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season.

You Choose: 

If you were given the opportunity over the last season to watch a Chargers game, or if you watched them in the last three years, do you think the organization really lacked a running game for Herbert? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.