COSTA MESA — Finding a good barber in a new city, especially during a pandemic, can be a challenge for anyone, but Justin Herbert didn’t want anything fancy for his first haircut in years.
Herbert, the Chargers’ rookie quarterback, thought he was playing it safe when he told the strength and conditioning coach John Lott he wanted just a trim.
But there’s a reason why people wait hours for a specific barber and avoid eye contact with the newest barber at the back of the shop with an open chair.
“He said he was pretty good with the clippers,” Herbert said Wednesday for why he trusted Lott.
Herbert got what he wanted. His luscious long hair was gone, but the basic request didn’t come with a crisp lineup above his forehead or a stylish fade below his unevenly trimmed hair.
“I think he did a great job,” Herbert said. “I wasn’t looking for anything fancy, so just trimming it down. He did that job. Pleased with it.”
Perhaps Herbert gave Lott a positive review to be nice. Not many are able to sit in a barber’s chair and say how much they dislike the haircut. Most bite their tongue, take the defeat and cry in privacy in front of a mirror.
But, like an angry mother, social media spoke up for Herbert. They were abuzz about the buzz cut, and of course, there were jokes and memes.
Justin Herbert with a haircut #Chargers pic.twitter.com/kuDxvEp5VH
— Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24) November 18, 2020
Many wondered why Herbert decided to get a haircut. Was it for superstitious reasons because the Chargers have lost seven of his eight starts this season?
Was he going for a military look and it was time to toughen up with seven games left on the schedule?
Or was he a young jedi in training in route to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL? That last one was because many tweeted Herbert resembled a young Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars episode I.
“No particular reason,” said Herbert, who estimated it was his first haircut since 2017 or 2018. “It was just time. It was getting too long. It was time to cut it.”
It was a learning experience for Herbert. Everyone has gotten a bad haircut at one point, and many were bold enough to share pictures after Herbert’s new look went viral.
Herbert’s hair will eventually grow back. He’ll learn not to take risks like that. Although, right guard Trai Turner wouldn’t have made that mistake.
“I’m cool on that one,” Turner joked about receiving a haircut from Lott.
Herbert did eventually talk football during his news conference Wednesday, and it involved other learning experiences.
The Miami Dolphins were able to confuse the rookie quarterback with their blitz disguises last week. Herbert was left guessing whether the Dolphins were going to pressure or not and that led to rushed throws and one costly fourth-quarter interception.
“We had a plan for when they brought all those guys, and they bailed out of it,” Herbert said. “They got us there. Tough looks. When you’re at the line of scrimmage, you have to be prepared for it. So I went out there, we made a decision to block it up, do everything we could, but they disguised it well.”
Herbert was able to take advantage of other teams’ blitz plays, but the Dolphins’ stout secondary allowed them to play man coverage and their reputation for being a blitz-heavy team gave them the mental edge.
The Chargers often took playmakers off the field to add extra blockers with tight ends and offensive linemen. Herbert threw a career-low 187 passing yards during the 29-21 defeat to the Dolphins last week.
“You watch the film, but you (can’t) worry about it too much,” Herbert said. “You can’t let the Dolphins beat you again and you can’t let them beat you next week (mentally), and you have to learn from it. I think it’s a great learning experience.”
Herbert learned from his mistakes on the field and he can do the same with his hair if he avoids the strength and conditioning coach’s clippers.
“It might be a year or so,” Herbert said about his next haircut.
BOSA, HARRIS RETURN TO PRACTICE
Defensive end Joey Bosa was cleared from the concussion protocol and was a full participant during Wednesday’s practice.
It was the first time Bosa practiced fully since sustaining a concussion against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 1. He missed the past two games against the Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders.
Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. returned to practice from a longer absence. He injured his foot against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 27 and has missed the past six games.The Chargers designated Harris to return from injured reserve and have 21 days to decide whether to place him on the active 53-man roster. The Chargers aren’t required to provide injury reports on Harris until he’s off injured reserve.
Lynn said Harris likely won’t play Sunday against the New York Jets.
Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor didn’t practice because of a ribs injury and long snapper Cole Mazza was a limited participant because of illness.
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