LOS ANGELES– After matching records of 11-6 the past two seasons, the Los Angeles Chargers are looking to finally win a Playoff game under Jim Harbaugh. This alone would not be seen as a failure, but with no playoff wins to show, a Playoff win is sorely needed.
A deep Playoff run would bring legitimacy to the franchise. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh returns for his third year as Head Coach for the Bolts. In the off-season, the team hired Mike McDaniel to be the offensive coordinator.
This move will helps the struggling offense, and Chargers Quarterback Justin Herbert. The Bolts have another star quarterback these days in Justin Herbert. Through six NFL seasons, Herbert is on pace to put up some all-time great passing numbers — but the lack of playoff success id becoming a stigma.
A big part of the problem last season was that both of L.A.’s excellent offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater were injured, so Herbert was running for his life constantly. Getting those linemen back healthy will be as big a development as anything else the team can do this offseason.
Another key injury was to rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who missed eight games. Hampton led the team with four rushing touchdowns, but was held to 545 rushing yards in limited action.
The passing game was buoyed by the return of 32-year-old Keenan Allen, who broke Antonio Gates’ franchise record for career receptions. Second-year receiver Ladd McConkey was less productive than his rokie campaign, while Quentin Johnston made some big plays and led the team with eight TD receptions.
Defense has been rhe key to Harbaugh-coached teams and that was the case again. The Chargers ranked fifth in total defense, ninth in scoring defense. Tuli Tuipulotu led the team with 13.0 sacks. Pro Bowl safety Derwin James led a solid secondary that produced 19 total interceptions, which ranked fourth in the NFL.
The defense came through in the wild-card matchup against the Patriots, but the overmatched offense was shut down in a 16-3 loss.
The next logical step is Playoff success, and competing for and AFC West crown. Here is their 2026 schedule:
2026 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DATE OPPONENT TIME (PT) TELEVISION
1 Sun. Sept. 13 Arizona Cardinals 1:25 pm CBS
2 Sun. Sept. 20 Las Vegas Raiders 1:05 pm CBS
3 Sun. Sept. 27 at Buffalo Bills 10:00 am FOX
4 Sun. Oct. 4 at Seattle Seahawks 1:25 pm CBS
5 Sun. Oct. 11 Denver Broncos 1:05 pm CBS
6 Sun. Oct. 18 at Kansas City Chiefs 1:25 pm CBS
7 Sun. Oct. 25 BYE — —
8 Sun. Nov. 1 at Los Angeles Rams 1:05 pm FOX
9 Sun. Nov. 8 Houston Texans 1:05 pm CBS
10 Mon. Nov. 16 at Baltimore Ravens 5:15 pm ESPN
11 Sun. Nov. 22 New York Jets 1:05 pm FOX12 Sun. Nov. 29 New England Patriots 5:20 pm NBC
13 Sun. Dec. 6 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10:00 am CBS
14 Sun. Dec. 13 at Las Vegas Raiders 1:05 pm CBS
15 Thurs. Dec. 17 San Francisco 49ers 5:15 pm PRIME VIDEO
16 Sun. Dec. 27 at Miami Dolphins 10:00 am FOX
17 TBD Kansas City Chiefs TBD TBD
18 TBD at Denver Broncos TBD
