The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the most exciting teams of 2026, and there's ample justification behind that excitement.
They've revamped their offense under new coordinator Mike McDaniel, and there's serious hope that he'll be able to maximize Justin Herbert's aerial threats with his run-heavy scheme. If the defense doesn't see a major regressions under a new coordinator, there's a major chance this team is able to exceed the 11-win mark they set last season.
But it must be acknowledged that there's a wide gap between this team's floor and ceiling. Obviously, injury luck will play a major factor. But the Chargers are hinging quite a bit of their potential on the abilities of Jake Slaughter and Cole Strange to step in at guard and provide adequate protection. If those two gambles (and the Chargers' other additions) go well, this team could be among the elite in the NFL. If they don't, they could quickly find themselves falling short of the lofty expectations we've set for them this offseason.
But The Athletic's NFL Projection Model, put together by analytical guru Austin Mock, seems to believe that the ceiling is the more likely outcome. In their recent post-Draft power rankings, which took into account the potential value at each position on every team's updated rosters, Los Angeles ranks sixth. Here's what Mock had to say regarding the Chargers:
"This has to be the year for Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Injuries have plagued them for years, but this roster is built to contend for a Super Bowl — the quarterback position is good enough, the offensive tackles form a top-five pair (when healthy), and the rest of the position groups rate around average. Sure, they could use another receiver or an edge rusher. Overall, though, the Chargers are solid up and down the roster and elite at quarterback and offensive tackle." Austin Mock, The Athletic
Chargers' 'solid' roster should give them their best shot at a Super Bowl under Jim Harbaugh
Under Joe Hortiz, the Chargers have been infamously averse to taking serious risks through trades or free agency, instead preferring to build slowly and steadily through the Draft. While that plan hasn't yet brought them a playoff win, it's difficult to look at this roster and disagree with Mock's prognostication. The Chargers' roster is, in a word, 'solid'.
'Solid' is a good thing. Sure, they might lack the alpha receiver that many teams have or the star weapon in their offensive arsenal. We can debate endlessly about Justin Herbert's ranking among the NFL's quarterbacks, or if their run defense will be strong enough to complement their swarming secondary.
But at the end of the day, Los Angeles has done an excellent job this offseason of patching many of the gaps and deficits that led to their brutal Wild Card Round defeat last season. The offensive line, by almost any measure, is vastly improved solely by the returns of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. They now have additional depth at defensive tackle and safety, and their additions of Charlie Kolar and Alec Ingold should be major boons to their pass and run-blocking efforts.
When you look at this roster on paper, it might not have the headline-grabbing upside that, say, the Los Angeles Rams or the Kansas City Chiefs do. But what Hortiz, Harbaugh, and company have accomplished this offseason firmly places them in that 'solid' territory. If everything goes right, that should be enough to elevate them into Super Bowl contention in 2026.
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