The Los Angeles Chargers are returning from their bye week as the last winless team in the NFL, and quite frankly, it’s tough to tell when this team is actually going to get in the win column. Not only have the Chargers looked lifeless on the field, but they are also playing an unrelenting slate of opponents that are capitalizing on every single one of their mistakes.
Los Angeles is giving its new-look team time to figure things out, but changes appear to be on the horizon if this group continues to lose. One guy whose future has become very murky is offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, and ahead of the Chargers’ upcoming game, head coach Jim Harbaugh shared some big news regarding his maligned OC.
Mike McDaniel Will Remain Chargers’ Offensive Playcaller
After a lifeless performance in the playoffs against the New England Patriots last year, Harbaugh fired his longtime offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, and replaced him with McDaniel, who was fresh off a stint as the Miami Dolphins head coach. Things didn’t exactly come to a great end for McDaniel in Miami, but he is still regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the league.
Hopes were high for the pairing of McDaniel and quarterback Justin Herbert, but to this point, this unit has been arguably the worst in the entire league. Herbert has looked like a shell of himself under McDaniel’s lead, with his play being so bad that Los Angeles is reportedly considering firing McDaniel after just six games.
McDaniel somehow managed to make it through the bye week with his job title still in place, but it’s clear he is on very thin ice. Publicly, the Chargers have remained committed to McDaniel, and that trend continued on Wednesday with Harbaugh revealing that he will remain the team’s offensive playcaller in Week 8.
“Jim Harbaugh said Chargers OC Mike McDaniel will continue to call plays,” Noah Furtado of The Athletic shared in a post on X.
Mike McDaniel Running Out of Time to Fix the Chargers Offense
In a way, this is a vote of confidence from Harbaugh in McDaniel. If he were stripped of his playcalling duties, that would have been a sign that the team is preparing to move on from him. Instead, Harbaugh is standing by him for the time being. Maybe this will just make McDaniel the fall guy if the team loses again in Week 8, but for now, he still has time to get the offense on track.
Doing so against a Los Angeles Rams team in Week 8 that will be intent on pushing their record back to the .500 mark, though, is going to be easier said than done. The offense could have a big day, but it may not even matter because of how talented the Rams are. McDaniel is coaching for his life right now, but even with this positive development, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him without a job at some point in the near future.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh Announces Major Mike McDaniel News