While it may seem like the Los Angeles Chargers are in uncharted territory after starting the 2026 NFL season 0-6, that's not quite the case. In fact, this isn't uncharted territory for the Chargers, Jim Harbaugh, or the duo together, as shocking as that may seem.
After Sunday's 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, another game where the offense showed very little life, the Chargers moving to 0-6 is something that hasn't happened since 2000. And in an absolutely strange tidbit revealed by Yahoo Sports, that 2000 season, when the Chargers were winless through six games, came with none other than Harbaugh at the helm.
Jim Harbaugh is taking the Chargers back to the future this season 🔁 The last time the Bolts lost their first six games was 2000,
when Harbaugh was taking the snaps 👀 pic.twitter.com/uk4Rw4mySr
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 19, 2026
It's the ultimate and most unfortunate "full circle" moment for Harbaugh. The 2000 season with the Chargers marked his final year as an NFL quarterback, and he played in just seven games, throwing for 1,416 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions over that span. For good measure, through the first six games of that year, Harbaugh officially had 1,397 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions, as he only briefly played in the seventh game.
To make this even more baffling, compared to Harbaugh, the Chargers' current quarterback, Justin Herbert, has actually struggled more through six games than his head coach did as a player. He's thrown for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions. He's completed 59.4% of his passes, compared to 61.7% (through six games), with a quarterback rating of 68.8 vs. Harbaugh's 74.7 over the six-game span.
While it's anyone's guess whether the Chargers can turn things around, there hasn't been much discussion about Harbaugh's job security, but that could be another situation to monitor in Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: This Jim Harbaugh 0-6 Chargers stat will blow your mind
