When Jim Harbaugh replaced Greg Roman with Mike McDaniel in the offseason, the move looked like a calculated upgrade. McDaniel was a former head coach with a reputation for creative offense, and he’d be pairing with quarterback Justin Herbert, who was getting his fifth different offensive coordinator. On paper, it made sense.
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Four games later, the Chargers are 0-4, and after a 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Harbaugh was asked directly whether McDaniel’s job was safe.
“His job is not in jeopardy,” Harbaugh said, via Kris Rhim. “He’s a skilled coach, and we’re going to keep growing.”
In Seattle, the Chargers were flagged repeatedly (16 penalties), the offensive line was hopeless, and Justin Herbert recorded three turnovers. The defense kept the team in it for a while, but the Chargers lost anyway.
Herbert’s day went wrong from the opening snap. His first pass landed in the hands of Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas. His second interception came on a pass intended for Ladd McConkey two plays into the drive.
At halftime, the Chargers were down 14 points, managing only two field goals in the first half. This was the only game in which the team has been able to put up more than 20 points, and are now averaging 16.8 points per game (fourth-least in the league).
This is not the first time McDaniel has fingers pointed at him during this season. The man brought in to benefit one of the team’s brightest spots has turned the asset into a completely different version. Herbert looks nothing like the quarterback we know he can be. He is tied with Matthew Stafford for the second-most turnovers in the league.
The offense somehow had life breathed into it in the second half, with the Chargers closing the gap to 23-30 in the fourth quarter. However, missed plays and perplexing roster moves kept holding Los Angeles back from the victory.
In the third quarter, McDaniel dialed up a trick play, trying to make anything and everything work. Facing a 1st-and-goal at Seattle’s 9-yard-line, Herbert handed the ball to Tre Harris, and he himself ran up front to line up as a pass-catcher. Harris threw, but the pass fell incomplete. The Chargers luckily got in a passing touchdown on the next play.
One thing worth noting is how openly McDaniel has owned up to the situation. He said this week that the responsibility is all his and that he doesn’t want to share it.
After the loss to Buffalo, which came even though the Chargers won the turnover battle by four, McDaniel told reporters on Thursday, “We were the reason we lost a football game.”
McDaniel said he still believes in the offense and feels he understands Herbert far better now when it comes to getting the best out of him. Still, he conceded that only results count.
“There has been improvement, but does anyone care? No, but we better improve. . . . I’m not trying to have moral victories or anything like that,” McDaniel said. “It’s steadfast that there are things that we’ve done in the past three games that is active participation in losing the game. Flat out, our jobs are to improve everything. I’m not living in hope, I’m living in reality.”
At 0-4, the Chargers’ tightrope walk into the season has gotten beyond difficult. Only one team has made the playoffs from such a result: the 1992 Chargers.
However, Los Angeles shouldn’t have even been in this place. They made the playoffs last year and were expected to take a bigger step ahead with McDaniel on offense. Though Harbaugh might not want to admit it outright, McDaniel has played a role in getting the team here.
The Chargers’ issues go beyond just the quarterback
The entire offense is in disarray under Mike McDaniel.
Firstly, there’s the offensive line. Veterans Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater have also stumbled this season. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, Slater’s 76% Pass Block Win Rate ranks 57th out of 66 qualified tackles in the NFL this season and is by far his lowest in a season through 3 games in his career.
Ladd McConkey is the Chargers’ top receiver, and he’s a dependable target, but he’s not a star or a serious threat. There were also notable drops against the Seahawks, which allowed them to pull away in the game. Tre Harris came up only in flashes.
The Chargers were able to post only one passing touchdown by way of Kimani Vidal. Quentin Johnson caught one pass for 44 yards, but it was of no use.
Then comes the rushing attack, which has been pretty much non-existent since the beginning of the season. The rushing reps are being split between Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, even though Hampton has long been identified as RB1 for the Chargers.
Harbaugh may not have to say anything about McDaniel now. But if the Chargers continue to see more losses (Denver and Kansas City are on the calendar next), McDaniel could very well be on the hot seat.
An 0-6 start is a real possibility, which is a far cry from what people expected in 2026. For now, they’re stuck in last place in the AFC West, watching a 4-0 Chiefs team from below.