Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh believes their lack of postseason success stems from them not playing their best football come the end of the regular season
13:48 ET, 26 Feb 2026Updated 13:50 ET, 26 Feb 2026
Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers talks to Justin Herbert.
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The Los Angeles Chargers have been dumped out of the postseason in the wildcard round in three out of the last four seasons(Image: Harry How/Getty Images)
Jim Harbaugh believes the Los Angeles Chargers' recent postseason failures are down to the fact that they have not been playing their best football come the end of the regular season.
The 2026 offseason is now well underway, with teams in Indianapolis for the NFL's annual scouting combine. While the presumptive No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, who led Indiana to a historic CFP National Championship, will not be testing this week, it remains an excellent opportunity for teams to meet with and get to know the players who will be entering the NFL Draft in April.
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Last season, Los Angeles found itself exiting the playoffs in the Wild Card round after a 16-3 defeat to the New England Patriots. While disappointing, it wasn't an unusual defeat for the Chargers.
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In three of the last four years, Los Angeles has been dumped out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round. In 2022, under then-head coach Brandon Staley, the team went 10-7, pitting them against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, the Chargers, who led 27-0 at one point, lost 31-30 to the Jaguars, giving up 24 points in the second half. They missed the postseason in 2023, before returning in 2024, only to be beaten 32-12 by the Houston Texans.
Jim Harbaugh head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers pumps up Justin Herbert.
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The Chargers have made the postseason in each of Harbaugh's two years in charge(Image: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
While they have made the postseason in each of Harbaugh's two years in charge of the franchise, playoff success has evaded Los Angeles. There is hope that, with the arrival of former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator, quarterback Justin Herbert could reach new heights.
But speaking to Pat McAfee from Indianapolis, Harbaugh has admitted his team needs to be playing better by the end of the regular season if they want to have postseason success in the future.
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"The thing that’s not good is we're not playing our best football at the end of the season, in those playoffs," Harbaugh said when asked about the state of the Chargers.
"That focus to [be] better and best in the elimination games."
Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers is helped up by teammates after a play against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts
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Justin Herbert was flattened by the New England Patriots defense as he attempted to lead the Los Angeles Chargers(Image: Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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While wins are not a quarterback stat, the Chargers will also need to see an improved level of play from Herbert in the postseason, should they make it next year.
Herbert is undoubtedly one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, but he is also now 0-3 in the postseason. Against New England, the 27-year-old went 19-of-31 passing, throwing for 159 yards.
And in defense of the Chargers star, their offense was hindered massively last season by injuries to their star tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, while Herbert also underwent surgery midseason on a broken bone in his left hand.