The Los Angeles Chargers will have former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel calling the plays after parting ways with former offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
The former OC was dismissed after the Bolts put up 15 points in two playoff games with the organization. Now, the Chargers added one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the league to their coaching staff.
With a new offensive coordinator, the Chargers are set to have a better offense than last season. A senior NFL writer was asked how the Bolts offense will fare in the 2026 season, making a strong claim for the first-year OC and his new offense.
Senior NFL Writer Drops Prediction for Chargers In 2026
GettyLos Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert will play for a sixth different offensive coordinator entering his seventh year in the league, which is a lot to bear for a player who looks for consistency in his career.
Entering the fold is Mike McDaniel, the former HC of the Dolphins, who received numerous head-coaching and offensive-coordinator interviews before landing with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer held his final mailbag for May, where he was asked how many points he thinks the Chargers will average in the 2026 season under McDaniel. Here’s what Breer predicts for McDaniel’s offense next season:
“The Chargers weren’t terrible last year—finishing 20th in scoring, at 21.6 points per game—and that was without their tackles for most of the year,” Breer wrote. “Adding one of the game’s best play designers only adds to that.”
“I do believe in McDaniel, and think the union with Jim Harbaugh will be a good one. And I think it’ll lead to Justin Herbert making a run at MVP in his seventh season… So I think it’s fair to hope for 25 points per game this year, which would put them on the fringe of the top 10 in scoring, and represent a pretty big uptick in production.”
McDaniel said Herbert was part of the reason he joined the organization, calling him a quarterback he always admired.
Herbert hasn’t thrown for more than 4,000 yards in a season since 2022. With a talented OC, the quarterback could return to his former self and help the Bolts make a playoff run past the wildcard round.
The Miami Dolphins offense averaged 20.4 points per game in the 2025 season, the eighth-lowest in the league. But the Dolphins don’t have a strong roster compared to Los Angeles, which could help Mike McDaniel produce better on the field.
Jim Harbaugh His New Offensive Coordinator
GettyJim Harbaugh enters his third season as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers
As organized team activities (OTAs) take place, the team is getting the first glimpse of Mike McDaniel’s offensive scheme in action.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh took to the podium at OTAs and recently talked about what it was like working with the new OC.
“Mike McDaniel is incredible,” the head coach said. “Love working with Mike. He is so smart. And I thought it would be a great fit with Justin [Herbert], because Justin’s so smart. The two of them, it’s been a better mesh than I even thought it would be.”
“They both love football… Just the way they see the game and, how I said, how smart they are, how intellectual. [They] just have a way of communicating there that they both just get right away.”
Senior NFL Writer Makes Bold Claim About Chargers’ Mike McDaniel