Overview
- The Chargers are 0-6 and rank near the bottom of the NFL in scoring, yards, third-down conversions, red-zone scoring, and touchdowns, driving urgent calls for change.
- Jim Harbaugh said coming out of the bye week that offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will continue to call plays, according to reporting that cited Harbaugh’s comments to reporters.
- Multiple NFL executives told Jason La Canfora they expected Harbaugh to at least reassign play-calling or take a direct role, but Harbaugh’s public decision keeps McDaniel in charge for now.
- Executives quoted in reporting said ownership is unlikely to hire an external offensive coordinator midseason, raising the odds of internal reassignment or a greater offensive role for Harbaugh.
- The choice matters for players and the short term because Justin Herbert has struggled to adapt to the new scheme, tensions between Harbaugh and McDaniel have been reported, and the team faces trade-deadline pressure to change course quickly.