Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has delivered his verdict on Justin Herbert’s recent absence, following his whirlwind trip to Europe with Madison Beer.
While the Chargers recently began ramping up preparations for the start of the 2026 NFL season earlier this month, there was no sign of Herbert during team workouts.
Instead, the 28-year-old was traveling around Europe with pop star girlfriend Beer, who kicked off her ‘Locket Tour’ across the continent this month.
While some fans were disappointed with Herbert’s absence in the workouts, head coach Harbaugh was in full support about the quarterback’s decision.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the Chargers coach said: ‘I was happy he went to support Madison on her music tour.
‘Madison supports him at the football games. He told me he wasn’t gonna be here for those two weeks and my first reaction was, ‘Do you need a ride to the airport?”
Justin Herbert and Madison Beer have been traveling around Europe during the NFL offseason (Pictured: The couple attending an NBA game back in October)
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh admitted he was ‘happy’ that the quarterback enjoyed his travels – despite some fans being concerned by Herbert’s absence from team workouts
The Chargers head coach then joked that he has previously urged Herbert to spend more time outside of the team’s practice facilities.
‘There’s times I’ve wanted to shoo him out of the building,’ Harbaugh said.
‘He’s at every voluntary, every non-voluntary workout. Same guy that broke his hand and he was here the next day practicing. The next game, stiff arming guys. So, yeah, I was happy. Happy. You know, good balance. Good balance.’
Despite his absence from team workouts earlier in the month, Herbert was pictured back on the practice field on Wednesday afternoon as OTAs continued.
The team’s account on X shared pictures of Herbert in action, with the caption: ‘He’s here + he’s perfect’.
However, last Thursday, Herbert had missed out on Phase 2 of the team’s offseason program as he attended a Harry Styles concert with his pop star girlfriend.
Herbert and the singer were captured attending one Styles’ 10 shows in Amsterdam this week.
Herbert and Beer were seen attending one of the concerts later in the week with a video shared to social media showing the pop star waving to a fan in the crowd with the quarterback sat alongside her.
Beer’s father, Robert, also shared a photo of the stage from their seats inside the arena to X. The couple’s public outing comes amid Beer’s own tour across Europe.
Chargers star Herbert and pop star Beer went public with their romance late last summer
Herbert and Beer went public with their romance late last summer after he was pictured visiting her on the set of a music video and they were then seen going for dinner in Los Angeles shortly after the NFL season began.
From there, America’s new power couple haven’t looked back.
Beer often attended Chargers games to cheer Herbert on while he also joined her on the red carpet at a pre-Grammy party in LA in January.
And if there was any question over how much of an influence Beer has on one of football’s biggest stars, Herbert removed all doubt with his recent music video cameo.
Earlier this month, Beer released her latest song ‘lovergirl’, which featured a cameo from boyfriend Herbert.
The NFL star was prominent throughout the intimate video as he carried, walked and cuddled with his pop star girlfriend, as she gushed over him in the lyrics.
