C
hanges are in order for the Los Angeles Chargers. Starting a season 0-6 for the first time since 2000 due in large part to a bad offense, the Chargers are coming off of their bye week with a sense of urgency. Coach Jim Harbaugh has voiced his support for offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel in spite of the struggles, and is hoping that things can quickly improve so the franchise can turn their season around. But time is of the essence, and if the offense cannot improve, moving on from McDaniel is inevitable.
But if he does lose his job, do not expect the team to hire someone else. According to Jason La Canfora of Casino.org, league executives believe Chargers ownership is highly unlikely to hire an outside replacement, suggesting the team could either have Harbaugh take over play-calling duties or reassign them to another coach on staff.
A Look at McDaniel’s Tenure with the Chargers
The Chargers hired McDaniel in the offseason after the Miami Dolphins fired him as head coach. After posting a 35-33 record as a head coach and helping stars like Tyreek Hill play their best football, McDaniel seemed like a home-run hire who could take the offense to another level. Instead, the offense has been stagnant, with reports that McDaniel also has struggled to mesh with Harbaugh.
“As we’ve been reporting since early in the season the relationship between McDaniel and head coach Jim Harbaugh did not exactly take off; these two have very different personalities and coaching styles, and the offense has been broken because of it,” a source told La Canfora.
“Harbaugh failed to give McDaniel a true vote of confidence after a 22-6 loss to the rival Chiefs on Sunday [Week 6] in which the offense could not muster a touchdown. Quarterback Justin Herbert is having the worst season of his career and has not taken well to this new staff, and Harbaugh himself has a deep coaching background on the offensive side.”
In Harbaugh’s first three seasons as the coach, Greg Roman was his offensive coordinator and helped Herbert play some of the best football of his career, particularly in 2024. Now, the decision to fire him is something the Chargers are regretting.
Chargers ‘Unlikely’ to Hire an External Candidate
McDaniel still has a job, but the question becomes how much longer. The Chargers need to improve fast and with their season hanging in the balance, they will need to make a change if things don’t get better. But according to La Canfora, do not expect the team to bring in an external candidate if they fire him.
“Whether McDaniel stays on the staff in some capacity or not, multiple NFL executives in the last few weeks have mentioned to me that they believe Harbaugh at the very least would take over play calling duties coming out of the Chargers bye week, or he would reassign them internally,” La Canfora said. “The same executives also said that with the team winless, the odds of ownership hiring someone with a substantial salary from outside the organization seems very unlikely.
“The Chargers will be the subject of intense trade talks during their bye week with the NFL trade deadline just a few weeks away. Pass rusher Khalil Mack is seen as someone who will not be there last the deadline, and the team will get overtired on dynamic safety Derwin James and some receivers as well. It would not be a surprise for them to move their salary in what’s quickly become a lost season.”
Chargers Ownership ‘Unlikely’ to Hire External Replacement for OC Mike McDaniel, per reports