By admin 
This Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers will begin what they hope will be a successful season when they host the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. They have a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel and a new defensive coordinator in Chris O’Leary, one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks in Justin Herbert and a slew of promising young players.
Read more Padres score 4 runs in 8th to rally past Nationals
Most seem to expect the Chargers to make the playoffs this season, and a few are even picking them to do some real damage there. In fact, one simulation from ESPN’s Football Power Index has the Chargers getting to the Super Bowl, only to lose there in the final seconds to the Detroit Lions.
As far as power rankings from a few outlets heading into the first week of regular-season games, a couple seem bullish on the Bolts, but a couple of others don’t seem to believe in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s crew.
The Ringer
Diante Lee alluded to the roster holes Los Angeles has in his write-up, but he still expressed belief that the franchise is building something legitimate and very respectable. He has the team at No. 9 in his latest power rankings.
“I’m not quite sure that this roster has enough star power to win its own division—let alone its conference—but I’ve bought into what the Chargers have built this offseason. With new coordinators (Mike McDaniel on offense, Chris O’Leary on defense) at the helm, Los Angeles is both developing its own iteration of the [Kyle] Shanahan-[Sean] McVay offensive system and maintaining its version of the Mike Macdonald–Jesse Minter scheme that’s been on the cutting edge of modern defense.
“This team has the systems in place to build a contender. And if the offensive line is solid enough to keep quarterback Justin Herbert upright, we could see L.A. take a leap toward a bona fide championship level.”
Pro Football Focus
Coming in at No. 5, the Chargers are expected to be much better on offense this season, according to Bradley Locker.
“Jim Harbaugh’s first two seasons in Los Angeles have culminated in playoff berths, although the team’s offense has lagged behind a talented defense. Now, the Chargers usher in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator — featuring a tantalizing pairing with Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton and an elite tackle duo. While the team’s interior offensive line and defense without Minter are fair wonders, the Chargers can take things up a notch if they better their 23rd-ranked offense by EPA per play.”
Indeed, many pundits feel the team will be excellent offensively this season. In fact, Daniel Popper of The Athletic boldly predicted that it will have one of the NFL’s top-five offenses.
NFL.com
This is where the doubt starts rolling in. NFL.com ranked the Chargers at No. 16, and Nick Shook cited their interior offensive line problems, although he did admit that if they overcome those problems, they could become a problem for the rest of the league.
Read more Giants edge Cardinals, close in on first home series sweep of season
“After enduring terrible luck along the offensive line last season, the Chargers are again facing adversity up front entering 2026. Center Tyler Biadasz is out for the year, and left tackle Rashawn Slater’s surgically repaired knee isn’t doing him any favors, creating the potential for a significant trench weakness yet again for the Bolts. If they can weather that, though, they might cook up something special with Mike McDaniel now running the show offensively. That backfield is mighty fascinating.”
That backfield is led by Omarion Hampton, whom some are expecting to have a huge year with McDaniel in place. He ran for 545 yards and four touchdowns and added 192 yards and one touchdown in the air last year as a rookie despite playing in just nine games.
NBC Sports — Pro Football Talk
This outlet has the Chargers at No. 12, but it seemed to sound the alarm on Herbert’s window, even though he’s just 28 years of age.
“The clock is ticking on Justin Herbert fulfilling his full potential,” wrote Mike Florio.
While Herbert, in some ways, was a bit disappointing last season, especially when it came to his career-worst 2.5% interception rate, he could be set for a sensational campaign under McDaniel’s tutelage.
The Chargers have the tools to surpass some expectations
Yes, the left guard and center positions are question marks for L.A. Yes, the team could use better interior linebacking and cornerback play. But if Hampton busts out as many expect him to, and if the team gets better production from wide receivers Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, it could build on what it did in its first two years of the Harbaugh era.
It won 11 games and made the playoffs in both of the last two seasons under Harbaugh. While its schedule will be brutal from Week 3 to Week 10, if its offense is as explosive as it reasonably can be, it could survive that stretch.
McDaniel’s new offense will look to stretch the field and play faster, and O’Leary’s new defense is expected to blitz more, especially from the second and even third levels. That could be just what the Chargers need to make the most of their personnel.
Read more Cowboys Announce Tyler Smith Update After Unfortunate News
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 8, 2026 at 9:46 PM.