How would one define success for the Chargers in the upcoming 2026 season?
ESPN's Kris Rhim says a success would be a playoff win, something the Chargers haven't accomplished since the 2018 season.
"This season is a success if ... the Chargers get a playoff win," Rhim wrote.
"Since their last playoff win in 2019, the Chargers have been a team whose success has largely been rooted in hypotheticals. Instead of reaching their potential, they've been on the wrong end of some of the most embarrassing losses in NFL history. A playoff win would signal that the paradigm has finally shifted for this seemingly cursed franchise."
The last Chargers playoff win came in January 2019, when they defeated the Ravens on the road in the AFC Wild Card round.
Philip
Rivers was the signal caller for the Chargers, and running back Melvin Gordon scored their lone touchdown of the game to earn the win 23-17.
That was eons ago. The Chargers are a whole new ball club led by Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh. The two have yet to collect a playoff win despite making the postseason in back-to-back seasons.
The Chargers have a great chance this season not only to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season but also to make a deep run. Los Angeles believes they've built a squad to do just that.
The last time the Chargers made a deep run was in the 2007 playoffs, when they reached the AFC title game but lost to the Patriots. Since then, it's been either one-and-done in the wild card or falling in the division round.
Los Angeles will look to flip the script in 2026 and finally get over the hump for the first time this decade.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: What would be considered a successful season for the Chargers in 2026?
