Is this the year the Chargers can finally make the jump?

There are few questions in the NFL more perennially relevant than “Is this the year the Chargers will actually be good?” The calling card of the franchise for the better part of three decades is that of an organization that routinely has a Top 10 team on paper, only to finish below expectations. Hall of Fame-worthy careers from Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates, squandered — now this team is doing its best to avoid the same fate with Justin Herbert and the other promising stars that make this new generation of the team tick.

Over the past two years it seemed like this team finally turned the corner. Back-to-back 11-6 seasons under Jim Harbaugh have transformed both the fate and culture of this team, as the Chargers now carry themselves like a team that knows it can contend. A cruel twist of fate has coalesced: Los Angeles is ready to compete, but now they’re locked in a division with the Chiefs and a Broncos team rejuvenated under Sean Payton, vying for the division title themselves.

This is the Chargers’ most talented team yet. It’s also a team fighting injuries, feeling the pressure of expectations, and with a quarterback who is facing questions about whether or not he’s clutch enough to get this team over the hump.

Chargers offense

The biggest X-factor on offense this season is the addition of Mike McDaniel. This team has been in dire need of some creativity and modernization on offense after being moribund under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who didn’t have much in his bag of tricks outside of stale runs and play-action passes, which was reflected in an offense that languished in the 20s in yards and scoring each of the last two seasons.

McDaniel’s offensive innovation is fascinating when we apply it to this roster. Running back Omarian Hampton is poised to be the biggest beneficiary, both in how McDaniel draws up pass plays out of interesting zone blocking schemes, and because he likes using his backs in the passing game, not simply as outlets, but as primary weapons. When we pair this with Justin Herbert’s natural accuracy on short and intermediate routes it really sets the table for something special.

Just watch this bomb from Herbert in the preseason. It’s everything McDaniel has never had to work with before, and it gives the Chargers’ offense huge upside.

The receiving corps is solid too when we see how this roster can attack all three levels. Ladd McConkey excels in the short-yard role with his YAC, Quentin Johnston is a fantastic middle-distance route runner, and Tre Harris can be the burner out of the slot. Couple all this with Hampton and there’s a lot to like.

Unfortunately, the injury bug bit the offensive line at the worst time with the season-ending ACL tear to center Tyler Biadasz. The days of assuming center is a throwaway position are long gone, with a boost to interior pressure meaning that the center and two guard spots have almost supplanted offensive tackle when it comes to priority. This is especially true for the Chargers, because Justin Herbert isn’t the most elusive QB in the pocket when it comes to interior pressure. This puts a lot of pressure on rookie Jake Slaughter to fill the void and prop up the line.

Chargers defense

It’s this side of the ball that raises some real questions about the Chargers’ chances in 2026. It won’t be easy to move on from defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who took the top job with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. There’s also major questions about where the team will get consistent pass rush from after losing Odafe Oweh in free agency, and not really picking up anyone who can help.

Los Angeles will be better against the run with the addition of Dalvin Tomlinson, but the lack of pressure up front will make life in the secondary more difficult as a result. They have a lot of talent at the safety position in particular, but looking at the roster it has me feeling much more uneasy about their chances.

New defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary is a secondary-minded guy, but is a wild card when it comes to calling the total defense. It’s for this reason I think it’s safe to imagine they’ll take a step back in this transition.

What’s the ceiling for the Chargers in 2026?

Everything comes down to how much of a lift Mike McDaniel can add to the offense. That will determine the fate of the Chargers this season. There’s a lot to like about their offensive weapons, and they should generate a lot more scoring with creativity — but there are issues on defense that can’t be ignored.

As a result, the Chargers feel like a team that will look different but end up in the same position. A very good, potential playoff team that will win 10+ games but fight for a Wild Card spot this season. Until there are more additions to the pass rush, there are growing pains this roster has to go through.