Jim Harbaugh has been the difference the Los Angeles Chargers hoped he would be. In two seasons as head coach, he's stacked 11-win seasons and playoff berths.
That's where things get tricky. Harbaugh's Chargers are 0-2 in the postseason. His starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, is winless in three Wild Card trips. Despite some of the best arm talent in the league, his passing offense ranks 16th in the NFL over the last two seasons
.Thus, a turn into a very Harbaugh theme. He rebuilt his offensive line. He stocked his running back platoon with high-impact runners. He created the very real impression that Los Angeles is here to take an early lead, then lean on its run game to grind down the clock and opposing defenses with it.
How will that look?
Let's do a little examination.
Key addition: OLs Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, Jake Slaughter and TE Charlie Kolar
Jim Harbaugh had a very Jim Harbaugh offseason, showcasing his intention to ram the ball down your throat by replacing all three interior offensive line spots and bringing in one of the league's best blocking tight ends. This is balm to a Omarion Hampton/Keaton Mitchell/Kimani Vidal tailback platoon and an offense whose -0.08 EPA per carry ranked only 22nd in the NFL.
It's also an acquisition with risk involved. Strange has generally underwhelmed in the NFL. Slaughter is a second round rookie who'll likely move from center to guard. Kolar has never had more than 10 receptions in an NFL season. But it's an overhaul that makes sense for a team looking to establish its culture up front.
Key departure: EDGE Odafe Oweh
A swap between Harbaugh brothers helped unlock Oweh's potential. After a 10-sack 2024, he'd been shut out through the first five games of the regular season with the Baltimore Ravens. He joined the Chargers after Week 5 and had 7.5 sacks his final 12 games. His 17.3 percent pressure rate was tops among the team's full-time pass rushers and higher than contemporaries like Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson or Danielle Hunter.
He's a Commander now, leaving the pass rush to Tuli Tuipulotu and a 35-year-old Khalil Mack. Both those guys are great (18.5 sacks, 92 pressures between them), but the depth behind them will rely heavily on first round rookie Akheem Mesidor turning his many years of college experience into Week 1 production.
Potential 2026 breakout player: CB Tarheeb Still
Still burst into the starting lineup as a fifth-round rookie in 2024. While he went without an interception in 2025, he actually lowered his passer rating allowed (from 79.8 to 76.8) by giving up under 5.3 yards per target in coverage. He's a rising star who can move from "underrated starter" to "Pro Bowl honoree" with only modest growth and a healthy interception total.
Position ranks
- QB rank (expected points added per dropback, via RBSDM.com): 18
- WR corps rank: 19
- RB corps rank: 14
- TE corps rank: 10
Will they improve in 2026?
They should be about the same, if a little better (and more boring). The Chargers have announced their intentions to run the ball more and grind down both opponents and the clock. Gonna be a good year to bet the under on Harbaugh's team.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Chargers 2026 season preview: 17 games of grinding you into paste
