For nearly a decade, the Chargers stood as the top Chiefs challenger in an AFC West that rarely featured great competition for Andy Reid‘s bunch. But the Broncos overtook the Bolts this season, zooming to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. With the Chiefs unlikely to be down for long, competition in this division figures to be fierce in 2026. The Chargers will be in the mix again, after two straight playoff berths under Jim Harbaugh. But two consecutive uninspired wild-card showings have brought questions about where this operation can go.
Some vintage Chargers injury luck resurfaced in 2025, with Rashawn Slater going down in training camp and Joe Alt suffering a season-ending injury around midseason. The team also lost a central figure in its early-Harbaugh success when Jesse Minter became the Ravens’ head coach. But the Bolts probably upgraded when they hired Mike McDaniel to run things on the other side of the ball.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired OC Greg Roman; Mike McDaniel named replacement
- DC Jesse Minter hired as Ravens’ HC; Chris O’Leary named replacement
All six of Harbaugh’s NFL seasons came with Roman calling offensive plays. Roman unleashed Colin Kaepernick, helping the 49ers to three straight NFC championship games and Super Bowl XLVII before calling the shots in Lamar Jackson‘s first MVP season. But the run-oriented OC’s style has a habit of growing stale. The Chargers retrained Justin Herbert compared to his years under Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley, with his pass attempts number freefalling under Roman. Offensive line issues limited the Chargers in 2025, but they ranked 20th in scoring offense and 25th in EPA per play.
