2 Chargers first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2026 NFL season

The Los Angeles Chargers entered training camp with one of the deepest rosters they’ve had in years. The Bolts have Super Bowl aspirations. There are no excuses now.

ESPN insiders recently stated that this is an “all-in” season for Justin Herbert and the Chargers, giving the star QB a roster and OC worthy of doing serious damage. Herbert has also been in McDaniel’s pocket like a sponge, soaking up as much as he can.

“There’s Mike (McDaniel), with knowing this offense, and then Justin’s right there in his hip pocket,” Harbaugh said. “There’s nobody in the organization that understands the details of what everybody’s doing, players and maybe even coaches, better than Justin does. He’s that meticulous. He’s really smart, and he really studies. The questions he’s asking are like AP questions, like a guy who’s been in this system for two or three or four years.”

Even though it is early in camp, most of the depth chart appears set. Two projected first-stringers have legitimate competition breathing down their necks entering the 2026 season: tight end Oronde Gadsden II and wide receiver Tre Harris.

Oronde Gadsden II

Gadsden entered camp as the favorite to start at tight end after an encouraging rookie season, but the position has become far more crowded.

The Chargers signed David Njoku in free agency and also added Charlie Kolar, giving Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh three players with very different skill sets.

Gadsden is the explosive receiving threat who moves like a wide receiver. Njoku brings power, experience, and the ability to impact both the passing and running game. Kolar has established himself as one of the league’s better blocking tight ends while quietly becoming a reliable receiving option off play-action.

Because of that versatility, the Chargers may not have a true No. 1 tight end despite what the depth chart says.

Gadsden could still open Week 1 as the starter, but he’ll have to earn snaps every week. If he doesn’t continue developing during camp, the Chargers have two veterans capable of taking on a larger workload depending on the game plan. Njoku would be the likely option to replace Gadsden as TE1.

Tre Harris

Harris appears to have the inside track for the WR3 role behind Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.

That doesn’t mean the job is secure.

Fourth-round rookie Brenen Thompson out of Mississippi State has been one of the early stars of training camp. Justin Herbert has already predicted Thompson will make plays this season, and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel recently praised the rookie for how quickly he has mastered the offense.

“I think he’s captured the attention of the quarterback room by his attack and ownership of the offense,” McDaniel said.

That’s exactly the kind of momentum that creates position battles.

Harris has the size and talent to become a long-term starter, but his rookie season didn’t produce the breakout many hoped for, largely because Keenan Allen occupied a significant role in the offense. Now, with Allen unlikely to return, Harris will have to prove he deserves consistent snaps ahead of one of the fastest-rising rookies on the roster.

The good news for the Chargers is that this isn’t a problem — it’s a luxury.

Training camp competition often brings out the best in players, and if Gadsden and Harris respond the way the coaching staff hopes, Los Angeles’ offense will be even deeper when Week 1 arrives.

If they don’t, the Chargers have already assembled quality alternatives ready to seize the opportunity.

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