Chargers Receiving Super Bowl-Buzz Before Preseason

The Los Angeles Chargers offense took a pummeling in a 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round in January.

Quarterback Justin Herbert took numerous hits and six sacks while the Chargers were without starting offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. With a healthy Slater and Alt, Herbert should have more command of the offense this fall, and that could make Los Angeles a Super Bowl contender.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks the Chargers made enough moves on offense to edge the needle by adding tight end David Njoku to complement an offense that has developing players at skilled positions.

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“Would I be nuts to pick the Chargers to go to the Super Bowl? I know, I know,” Breer wrote. “The Chargers have had these sorts of teams for a quarter century. Still, last year, they won 11 games, mostly without the two tackles that are the center of the team's identity; they're upgrading in a big way at tight end; they have young, rising talent at tailback and receiver; and the talent level on defense is really, really good.

“I think Justin Herbert, with all this around him, should be an MVP candidate. And that leaves me with replacing Jesse Minter with Chris O'Leary as DC as the biggest question going into camp. Health-allowing, the Rams won't be the only team threatening to make Super Bowl LXI a home game.”

Minter’s success with the Chargers allowed him to take the Baltimore Ravens head coaching job. While there are questions about Chris O’Leary, head coach Jim Harbaugh knows how to pick coordinators.

Harbaugh’s decision to hire former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel might be the Chargers’ biggest win of the offseason. While he struggled as head coach of the Dolphins, his offenses were always inventive.

Herbert will be the most talented quarterback McDaniel has coached since he became the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. The offense was a problem for Los Angeles last season, but it could be the reason for a Super Bowl run this year.

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This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 3:59 PM.