LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Chargers hired Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator and Chris O'Leary as defensive coordinator. These appointments followed Jim Harbaugh becoming the team's head coach in 2024. The Chargers won 11 games and reached the playoffs in the 2025 season.
O'Leary previously held the position of safeties coach for the Chargers. The team has not secured the AFC West division title since 2009. Quarterback Justin Herbert currently starts for the Chargers.
Before the 2025 season, the Chargers lost left tackle Rashawn Slater. Joe Alt played six games at right tackle for the team during the 2025 season. The Chargers selected defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor in the first round of the 2025 draft, and offensive lineman Jake Slaughter in the second round of the same draft.
The Chargers also added free agents Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange to their roster. Running back Keaton Mitchell and tight end David Njoku were also acquired. Omarion Hampton and Oronde Gadsden are beginning their second seasons with the team.
A statistical projection model assigns the Chargers a 4.4% chance of winning the Super Bowl in 2026. The model also indicates a 65.1% chance of reaching the 2026 playoffs and a 35.9% chance of winning the AFC West division. The Kansas City Chiefs have a 38.2% chance of winning the AFC West division, according to the same model. The Chargers are ranked seventh in the statistical projection model with a +2.6 rating. Super Bowl 61 will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, which previously hosted Super Bowl 56.