Former All-Pro receiver and ESPN analyst Steve Smith Sr. built a career out of reading defenses. Now he is reading footwear, and he believes they expose a crack in the Chargers’ foundation.
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Smith posted a sideline photo of Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel on Instagram, then highlighted the two men’s footwear, like a detective making notes on evidence. @cenacharger posted screenshots of the image on X, along with exchanges he had with commenters.
“This image is quite revealing,” Smith wrote in the caption. “There is a significant lack of alignment between the Head Coach, who is wearing cleats, and the Offensive Coordinator, who is wearing Off-White footwear.”
Smith kept going in the comments. When a commentator said he had “retired and became everything he hated about the media,” Smith fired back that McDaniel “has a rake of designer shoes in his office” and that he had seen them himself.
“Not asking you, I’m telling you,” he wrote, adding that the two “[aren’t] on the same page and it’s going to be clear at some point.” Under a separate comment, he predicted that “both will get fired if it doesn’t change.”
What is Smith actually arguing? Strip away the sneaker talk, and it is a claim about culture. ESPN described the contrast at training camp: McDaniel in gray jogger capris and bright blue designer Air Forces, Harbaugh in a team-issued polo, trousers, sneakers and hat. ESPN also noted Harbaugh wears only team-issued gear, while McDaniel is not trying to become him.
“A match made in heaven,” ESPN wrote of their relationship. However, three weeks into the season, the rapport has not worked out for the Chargers.
The Chargers lost 26-14 at home to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, Harbaugh’s first Week 1 loss in seven seasons as an NFL head coach, then fell 26-14 at home to the Las Vegas Raiders. In Week 3 at Buffalo, they lost 24-16 despite forcing five takeaways.
But what is more troubling is McDaniel’s apparent failure as the Chargers’ OC, as he was once touted to be the fix for the team and spark a great bond with quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Chargers are averaging 14.7 points per game. Entering Week 4, Herbert has three touchdowns and four interceptions. The offense was expected to take a step forward with McDaniel, who Harbaugh hired after moving on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman. But it doesn’t look like it’s been giving the Chargers any advantage.
“The quarterback who threw for 5,014 yards in his second season and has since carried this ailing franchise on his back looks like a shell of himself,” ESPN’s Kris Rhim wrote. “In this new offense, Herbert seems uncomfortable in the pocket, unsure of where to go with the football, and hasn’t been able to make the types of herculean plays he made in years past to keep this team afloat.”
Publicly, the message from the Chargers has been clear. Harbaugh said there is “no disconnect” between McDaniel and the offense and insisted there would be no changes, according to Rhim. Asked whether he would step in, Harbaugh said, “We trust Mike. We believe in Mike.” McDaniel described their partnership as a two-way street before the season, telling ESPN, “We need each other.”
The 1992 Chargers opened 0-4 and still made the playoffs, though this offense would need a dramatic turnaround. Smith’s photo shows two coaches standing side by side. The standings will decide whether his prediction ages like a hot take or a warning.