Another early playoff exit for the Los Angeles Chargers has ignited a familiar blame game, but this time, the criticism is coming from inside the locker room. Jim Harbaugh’s team watched their season fall apart in a 16–3 wild-card loss to the New England Patriots. The Bolts waited for a spark that never came. Because of how that night unfolded, fingers are already being pointed.

This time, offensive coordinator Greg Roman sits right in the middle of the blame game. The play-calling felt stiff, and the rhythm never showed up. Right guard Mekhi Becton made it clear he was not on board, and his words only added fuel to an already growing fire around Roman. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, Becton did not hold back when asked about the system:

“Mekhi Becton said he was uncomfortable playing in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s system this season.”

“It’s a lot of different things I’m not used to,” Becton said.

Then, when the topic shifted to next season and possible fixes, Becton’s answer was more scathing.

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“No, we haven’t talked about it. We didn’t talk about it after the game, so I don’t know,” the player added.

At this point, it is fair to wonder if this feeling runs through the entire offense or if it reflects one player’s – Becton’s – rough year.

Becton arrived in the City of Angels on a two-year, $20 million deal after winning a Super Bowl with the Birds in the City of Brotherly Love. He was brought in to support the run-heavy identity Jim Harbaugh promised, but things didn’t play out that way. But what followed was a sharp drop. His play dipped, his availability suffered, and the numbers told a harsh story. He allowed pressure on 8.6 percent of pass plays, the worst mark among guards, a far cry from what he showed in Philly.

Injuries limited his availability, he missed stretches of games, and he was even taken out in Week 11 without a clear explanation, which added to his frustration. Becton admitted he struggled not just with his play, but with how the team handled his health, saying it was done differently than what he was used to.

That instability up front showed, as Justin Herbert took a heavy number of sacks (54), even though the passing game was spread evenly without one clear standout receiver. Overall, the numbers reflected an offense that lacked consistency (42.4 percent success rate), which tied back to the issues in protection and execution that defined the 2025 season. Their offense ranked 20th in the league, the third-worst mark among all playoff teams.

Ultimately, whether others agree with Becton does not matter. The Bolts saw this offense sputter all season despite an elite quarterback, and that falls on Roman.

Now, with the offseason looming, Harbaugh stands at a crossroads to decide on Roman’s future. And after his recent press conference offered the OC little reassurance, the Chargers may have no choice but to make a change.

Jim Harbaugh is non-committal on Greg Roman

While the Wild Card loss still stings in the City of Angels, the Chargers’ defense did everything it could to keep the fans believing. Still, none of it mattered because the offense never took advantage.

Meanwhile, Justin Herbert spent the night under siege. After losing both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater earlier in the year, pressure became a weekly problem. Against New England, it peaked. Herbert went down six times, and even when he stayed upright, nothing felt easy.

The quarterback finished 19 of 31 for just 159 yards, did not throw a touchdown, and somehow led the team in rushing with 57 yards. Even worse, the offense failed to cash in on turnovers and converted just one of ten third downs. Then came the moment everyone waited for.

After the game, Jim Harbaugh faced the big question about play-calling. When asked if Greg Roman is the right man for the job, Harbaugh did not offer protection.

“I don’t have the answer to that right now. We’re gonna look at that and everything.”

Still, context matters here. Roman and Harbaugh go way back. Their connection started in 2001 with the Panthers, when Roman coached the offensive line, and Harbaugh lined up at quarterback. Years later, Roman joined Harbaugh at Stanford in 2009, then followed him to the Bay Area during his four-year run with the San Francisco 49ers.

After Jim and the Niners split, Roman stayed in the Harbaugh orbit. He moved to the Baltimore Ravens to work under John Harbaugh, eventually running the Ravens offense from 2019 to 2022. When he resigned, it did not take long for him to reunite with Jim in Los Angeles, bringing familiarity and shared history to the Bolts staff.

Looking back, Roman’s offenses have had highs, including Lamar Jackson’s MVP year in 2019. Yet consistency, especially through the air, has often lagged.

As for this season, injuries hurt the Chargers, but too often the scheme failed to create easy throws for Herbert. Harbaugh has not made a decision, but his refusal to shut the door says plenty as the Chargers aim to rise above wild-card exits.