Justin Herbert passes for more than 300 yards in Chargers’ season-opening win over Chiefs

SÃO PAULO — The social-media influencers showed up in droves Friday for the marquee matchup between the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, only the NFL’s second regular-season game played in the Southern Hemisphere.

They snapped selfies, did dances, tried to top each other with eye-catching outfits and elbowed for the spotlight.

As for Justin Herbert? He was Mr. Beast.

The Chargers’ quarterback dissected the Chiefs with surgical precision, throwing for 318 yards and three touchdown passes in a 27-21 toppling of the defending AFC champions — a franchise the Chargers hadn’t beaten since 2021.

Chargers

That time the Chargers went all the way to Tokyo for a preseason beer run

Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts reminisces about the NFL’s first overseas excursion in 1976 when the Chargers played the St. Louis Cardinals in Tokyo.

Sept. 5, 2025

🏈 Chargers 27, Chiefs 21 — FINAL

The Chargers’ losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs is over.

Behind an impressive 300-yard performance by Justin Herbert, the Chargers ended their seven-game losing streak to the defending AFC champions.

Herbert completed 25 of 34 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns in the Chargers’ first win over Kansas City since 2021.

Herbert is only the third quarterback in Chargers history to throw for more than 300 yards in a season opener.

🏈 Chargers 27, Chiefs 21 — 2:34 left in the fourth quarter

Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal after a breakdown in the Chargers’ secondary helped the Chiefs make it a one-possession game again.

Under pressure from Khalil Mack on fourth and seven, a sprinting Patrick Mahomes found a wide-open Hollywood Brown on an incredible 49-yard pass that put the Chiefs on the Chargers’ nine-yard line.

The Chargers’ defense was able to keep Kansas City out of the end zone, but the pass keeps the Chiefs firmly in the game.

Both teams have three timeouts left.

🏈 Chargers 27, Chiefs 18 — 5:02 left in the fourth quarter

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston caught a 23-yard pass from Justin Herbert to extend the Chargers’ lead late in the fourth quarter.

It was Johnston’s second touchdown catch of the game and it pushed Herbert over the 300-yard mark.

A direct snap to tight end Tyler Conklin on third and short resulted in a one-yard gain, keeping the drive alive.

Earlier in the 11-play, 74-yard drive, Herbert completed a nine-yard pass to Keenan Allen on third down for a first down. A couple plays later, Tre’ Harris made his first-career catch for 11 yards and Ladd McConkey caught a nine-yard pass.

Johnston has five catches for 79 yards.

🏈 Chargers 20, Chiefs 18 — 12:04 left in the fourth quarter

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes, but Teair Tart knocked down Mahomes’ pass on the two-point conversion attempt, keeping the Chargers ahead.

Kelce was wide open down the sideline and ran into the end zone untouched.

Until then, the biggest play of the drive came when Mahomes made an incredible flip to JuJu Smith-Schuster as he was falling across the line of scrimmage on third and five, resulting in a 12-yard gain.

🏈 Chargers 20, Chiefs 12 — 25 seconds left in the third quarter

Justin Herbert found Keenan Allen wide open in the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown pass to help give the Chargers an eight-point lead late in the third quarter.

Allen also caught a 15-yard pass during the 12-play, 74-yard drive, spinning around a defender for an extra five yards. Ladd McConkey caught a 16-yard pass to fuel the possession.

Omarion Hampton got the Chargers into the red zone with a five-yard run and immediately followed with a seven-yard carry.

Herbert has completed 16 of 25 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns tonight. Hampton has 48 yards in 12 carries, and McConkey leads Chargers receivers with five catches for 65 yards.

Chargers cornerback Denzel Perryman, who sustained an ankle injury in the first half, will not return to the game, the team announced.

🏈 Chargers 13, Chiefs 12 — 8:05 left in the third quarter

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes scored on an 11-yard scramble, but Harrison Butker’s extra-point attempt went wide right to keep the Chargers ahead.

Mahomes’ touchdown capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive aided by a critical 15-yard run from Mahomes on third down during the possession. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Teair Tart (who shoved Travis Kelce in the facemask) helped set up the touchdown.

Mahomes also connected on a 14-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster and a 13-yard pass to Hollywood Brown on the possession.

The Chargers went three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half, with Mekhi Becton drawing a holding penalty on third down.

🏈 Chargers 13, Chiefs 6 — HALFTIME

Harrison Butker kicked a 59-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give the Chiefs another critical three points.

After Noah Gray caught a three-yard pass to move the ball to the L.A. 40 with no timeouts left, Butker had to run onto the field and quickly make his kick as the clock ticked toward zero, with the snap coming with about two seconds left.

An incredible 38-yard catch by Chiefs receiver Tyquan Thornton set up the field-goal try.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 12 of 18 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton has 31 yards in eight carries.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has completed 12 of 21 passes for 98 yards. Isiah Pacheco has 21 yards in four carries.

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman is questionable to return after sustaining an ankle injury.

🏈 Chargers 13, Chiefs 3 — 45 seconds left in the second quarter

Cameron Dicker kicked a 36-yard field to extend the Chargers’ lead, but coach Jim Harbaugh was visibly frustrated after rookie running back Omarion Hampton ran out of bounds to stop the clock on third down.

The Chargers drove to the Kansas City 21 before the delay of game penalty proved to much to sustain the 12-play, 47-yard drive.

Ladd McConkey caught a 23-yard pass and Keenan Allen had a seven-yard reception on the possession.

After returning to the bench, Hampton appeared to be talking to former Seahawks great Marshawn Lynch, who is a credentialed photographer for the game. Possibly some running back advice for the rookie when it comes to game management?

🏈 Chargers 10, Chiefs 3 — 4:50 left in the second quarter

Harrison Butker kicked a 35-yard field goal to get the Chiefs on the board after Daiyan Henley sacked Patrick Mahomes on third down to halt a 16-play, 49-yard drive.

Henley’s sack for an eight-yard loss ended the Chiefs’ strongest drive so far after their first three possessions ended with punts.

Mahomes has completed 10 of 17 passes for 57 yards so far.

Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who injured his shoulder after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce on the game’s first possession, has been ruled out by the team.

🏈 Chargers 10, Chiefs 0 — 13:47 left in the second quarter

Cameron Dicker kicked a 39-yard field goal to extend the Chargers’ lead early in the second quarter.

Holding penalties on Ladd McConkey and Jamaree Salyer ultimately prove too much for the Chargers to overcome on a nine-play, 58-yard drive.

Justin Herbert has completed nine of 12 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown so far.

He connected on passes of 33 and 17 yards with tight end Tyler Conklin on the drive.

Rookie running back Omarion Hampton has 22 yards in four carries.

Salyer was playing at right guard for Mekhi Becton, who exited the game and was spotted on camera wearing an oxygen mask on the bench. Becton has been dealing with an illness.

🏈 Chargers 7, Chiefs 0 — 4:28 left in the first quarter

The Chiefs drove to the Chargers’ 42 on their second possession before wide receiver Hollywood Brown dropped a very catchable pass to force a punt.

With the punt being down at the two-yard line, the Chargers didn’t make much progress working away from the end zone, with Omarion Hampton going nowhere on third-and-two to force the Chargers’ first punt.

🏈 Chargers 7, Chiefs 0 — 9:11 left in the first quarter

Justin Herbert found wide receiver Quentin Johnston in the end zone on a five-yard touchdown pass to give the Chargers an early lead.

The touchdown capped a seven-play, 68-yard drive.

Earlier in the drive, Herbert connected on a 33-yard pass to Johnston, who sprinted between two Chiefs defenders and capitalized on a block from Ladd McConkey.

Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton picked up eight yards on the first carry of his career for a first down.

Justin Herbert’s first play in 2025 was a six-yard scramble.

Kansas City went three-and-out on its first possession.

Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy walked under his own power to the locker room after Kansas City’s first drive. He was slow to get off the field, clutching his right shoulder, after colliding with tight end Travis Kelce on third down.

Worthy is questionable to return.

In his second season as San Francisco’s coach, Jim Harbaugh got the 49ers to the Super Bowl. While that’s a big ask of the Chargers, especially for a club that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2018, it’s reasonable to predict his team will do as well or better than last year’s 11-6 finish.

A big question: Is Justin Herbert an elite quarterback? His coach certainly thinks so. “I woke up the other day and said, ‘Gotta get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. ... That would mean winning a couple Super Bowls,’” Harbaugh said on “The Rich Eisen Show” this offseason. “A lot of people would benefit from that. That’s a worthy goal.”

Chargers

Khalil Mack, Derwin James Jr. aim to reinforce Chargers’ stingy reputation

The Chargers allowed the fewest points of any team in the league last season. Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter hope to see even more improvement in 2025.

Aug. 31, 2025

It’s a lofty ambition, especially considering Herbert has yet to win a playoff game. The 6-foot-6 passer, entering his sixth NFL season, has another chance to translate his talent into postseason results. He threw only three interceptions during the regular season, but tossed four in the playoff loss to Houston, including his first pick-six in 46 games.

The challenge just got tougher. Ten days after signing left tackle Rashawn Slater to a historic deal for offensive linemen, the Chargers lost him for the season to a knee injury. That leaves Herbert’s blind side in the hands of rookie Joe Alt.

It’s a crowded AFC quarterback field with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. The question is whether Herbert can finally join that top tier.

The Chargers gave up the fewest points in the NFL last season (301) and will need that kind of stout performance again to get a firm foothold in the AFC West.

They will be tested right away, as they open in Brazil against the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs — a team the Chargers haven’t beaten since 2021 — then face Las Vegas and Denver in the following two weeks. All three division opponents in a row.

Coach Jim Harbaugh was especially pleased with his defense after it notched a strip sack and made a goal-line stand in a preseason victory over New Orleans.

Chargers offensive guard Mekhi Becton will be in uniform tonight despite dealing with an illness.

Here are the Chargers’ inactives for their season opener against the Chiefs in Brazil:

And here are the Chiefs’ inactives:

WR Jalen Royals

RB Elijah Mithcell

DL Malik Herring

TE Jared Wiley

OL Hunter Nourzad

DL Omarr Norman-Lott

There are great coaches all over the NFL. Super Bowl champions. Coach of the Year winners. Future Hall of Famers.

But when it comes to head coaches, across the board, no division can match the AFC West.

Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh.

It’s Mount Rushmore — or maybe Mount Passmore.

That’s 10 conference championships and five Super Bowl rings, possibly the most accomplished quartet of coaches since the league went to eight four-team divisions in 2002. There are no weak links.

As the Chargers prepare for their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, 6,000 miles away in São Paulo, Brazil — part of the NFL’s push into international markets — the franchise unknowingly blazed a similar trail nearly 50 years ago.

On Aug. 16, 1976, the NFL played its first game outside North America: a forgotten Week 3 preseason matchup between the then-San Diego Chargers and then-St. Louis Cardinals in Tokyo.

“It’s not a day that will live in infamy,” said then-Charger quarterback Dan Fouts.

All good things come in threes — including reliability.

Anchored by kicker Cameron Dicker, punter JK Scott and long snapper Josh Harris, the Chargers’ specialists have been a bedrock of stability the past three seasons. That steadiness seemed in jeopardy when Scott’s contract expired this offseason.

Like a rock band losing its guitarist, it looked as though the group might have played its final tour together. But for Scott — whose bond with Dicker and Harris runs deeper than football — staying in L.A. felt like divine intervention.

“Truly, it was something me and my wife made a decision together from a place of prayer,” Scott said of re-signing. “We felt like we were supposed to be here. The relationships that we have here, we just felt like this was the right fit.”

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Turns out, the marquee matchup Friday night between the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs isn’t just a season-opening showdown between two premier quarterbacks and legitimate Super Bowl hopefuls.

It’s also a family feud — minus the bad blood.

Devin Woodhouse, head strength and conditioning coach for the Chargers, is the son-in-law of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, an under-the-radar connection that further hems these AFC West rivals.

“In our first game last year, I was a little anxious playing them,” Woodhouse told The Times. “It felt weird rooting against him at times.”

Jim Harbaugh has already called him one of the greatest players to ever play his position.

The perception nationally of Justin Herbert isn’t as charitable. The consensus is that Herbert doesn’t belong in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks alongside the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow.

If anything, Herbert might be viewed as being closer to Jared Goff or Brock Purdy than Mahomes or Jackson.

As overwhelming as his athletic gifts are, as many jaw-dropping passes as he’s completed, Herbert still hasn’t won a playoff game for the Chargers.

The Chargers will play one fewer game at SoFi Stadium this season because they’re officially the home team for Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo.

Despite being the home team, the Chargers won’t have their colors and logos in both end zones. Nor will boards on the side of the field be strictly powder blue.

It’s all part of an effort to make the international games feel more inclusive for fans of both teams, or just the NFL in general. Starting this year, all international games will have end zone colors for both teams, not just the home team.

Kickoff is still hours away, but fans are lining up in the hundreds to get into Corinthians Arena in São Paulo ahead of the start of Chiefs vs. Chargers on Friday night.

Fans lining up in Brazil before Chiefs vs. Chargers on Friday.

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, but it’s a quarterback hunter who made the most dramatic offseason splash.

All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, traded from the Dallas to Green Bay, should command a big share of the spotlight as the NFL kicks off the 2025 season this weekend with a slew of intriguing matchups, including Parson’s Packers playing host to the Detroit Lions, who have gone from league laughingstock to vogue Super Bowl pick.

Cowboys fans are still agonizing over the Parsons trade, even though their team got two first-round draft picks and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark in the deal, and shellshocked quarterback Dak Prescott responded to the news with a Texas-sized understatement: “I’m not going to say we’re better.”

Running back Najee Harris addressed reporters for the first time since being involved in a Fourth of July fireworks accident — his eyes hidden by Chargers-colored sunglasses.

“It’s a humbling experience,” Harris said about the accident that left him with an eye injury. “It still hasn’t really shaken. I’m still going through it in a way. Just the whole situation [can] show you how things could change at just a snap of a finger.”

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — The Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs square off in Brazil on Friday night, just the second regular-season NFL game in the Southern Hemisphere, and both teams are looking to bounce back from poor performances.

The Chargers are eight months removed from a hopelessly flat showing in a first-round playoff loss to the Houston Texans. The Chiefs, meanwhile, made it to the Super Bowl but had no answers for the Philadelphia Eagles in a lopsided loss.

Now, these AFC West foes meet on neutral ground to resume what hasn’t been much of a rivalry of late. The Chiefs have beaten the Chargers seven times in a row, last losing to them in 2021 in Kansas City when Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw four touchdown passes and the Los Angeles defense intercepted Patrick Mahomes twice.