Chargers TE Hayden Hurst: Jim Harbaugh-led squad looking to be tougher, more physical in 2024

Jim Harbaugh's return to the NFL launched an exodus from Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his defensive coordinator heading to Seattle, and a handful of Harbaugh's Wolverines lieutenants following him to Los Angeles.

With their move comes an intentional change in culture within the Chargers. It starts with an element they lacked in recent years: toughness.

"That's the mantra of this place; we're going to be physical," new tight end Hayden Hurst said, via ESPN. "We're going to come at you. When you see us pop up on the schedule, it's going to be a long Sunday."

Many of the Sundays the Chargers experienced last season were long for them. Though they owned the league's 18th-ranked offense, Los Angeles spent far too many weekends chasing opposing offenses all over the field, finishing 28th in total defense, and 31st in scoring defense.

That's where the toughness begins. The Harbaugh-led Chargers are no longer going to accept getting punched in the mouth by opposing offenses. They aim to ensure they'll achieve such a goal by focusing on the simple things, like physical preparation for a grueling season.

That's where another Michigan transplant, executive director of player performance Ben Herbert, comes into play.

"Consistency, attention to detail, emotional stability, bigger, faster, stronger, and more mobile and flexible," Herbert said of his key points of focus. "That's how you can describe our program."

The college speak that carried over from Michigan isn't hard to spot, but for a franchise that lacked general direction and intensity under its previous leadership, it's welcome. And apparently, the message has already been heard.

"We want to out-physical teams. We want teams to fear us," Hurst said. "We want teams to end up giving up in