Daniel Popper of The Athletic previously reported that tight end Oronde Gadsden could have a top-tier season thanks to McDaniel. Now, it’s been reported that Tre’ Harris is poised for a bigger role, and that Ladd McConkey could “have a bounce-back season in [Mike] McDaniel’s offense.”

With the possible departure of Keenan Allen, Harris could slide into that role, while also opening quite a lot of options for McConkey. Per Popper, “I can see McDaniel maximizing McConkey’s shiftiness and yards-after-the-catch ability on some of these same concepts.”

Mike McDaniel is creating plenty of hype

McDaniel’s arrival is creating quite the buzz inside the Chargers building. The fact is Justin Herbert has always been talented but hasn’t had the help needed to succeed. Now, with McDaniel, he could have two weapons develop into top-tier wide receivers.

McConkey has shown he could be a WR1. And for Harris, he is a second-round pick, so he has talent and there are expectations about him. McDaniel can help this offense as a whole. He must deliver on this expectations.

The Chargers are a boom-or-bust team

Now, the Chargers have the talent, the head coach, the quarterback, the offensive coordinator, and the prospects to win it all. If they don’t succeed this year, plenty of doubts and criticism will be over the franchise.

Per Popper’s report, the signing of tight end Charlie Kolar “will allow Oronde Gadsden to play in a role that maximizes the 2025 fifth-round pick’s receiving skill set.” That is great news for Justin Herbert, who found an unexpected weapon in the tight end last season.

Gadsden came out of nowhere and produced 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns. Now, Mike McDaniel and his highly-productive scheme could make Gadsden one of the best tight ends in football, at least in the receiving aspect of it.

McDaniel has made wonders with other tight ends

McDaniel had underwhelming tight ends his first two years as the Dolphins head coach, but once he got Jonnu Smith, things changed. In the 2024 season, Smith had 884 yards and eight touchdowns on 88 receptions.

McDaniel was also the 49ers offensive coordinator, where he had George Kittle. Now, Kittle is a superstar and he would arguably deliver in every scheme imaginable. Still, McDaniel’s scheme follows the Shanahan scheme, which means tight ends are not only important, but key to success.

The Chargers are not done

A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that the Chargers were keeping tabs on AJ Brown. While those rumors have dimmed, the fact is that this means the Chargers are in the market, active. After all, they have money to spend.

The Chargers have $59.5 million in cap space, which is the second-highest in the NFL this season. They have brought offensive players in Tyler Biadasz, Keaton Mitchell, Alec Ingold, and Charlie Kolar. They brought four names in defense, and plenty more will be spent.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Chargers are hiring Adam Gase as passing game coordinator. This means he will work very closely with Justin Herbert. Gase was last seen coaching the New York Jets in the NFL.

After that, it’s been a five-year hiatus for a coach that seemed like the NFL passed him over. While Mike McDaniel will oversee all things offense with head coach Jim Harbaugh, having someone like Gase might be troublesome if he is indeed outdated with the current NFL landscape.

Gase has a very bad reputation

Gase rose to prominence in the NFL thanks to being the Broncos OC during the Peyton Manning days. That granted him the Dolphins HC position from 2016 to 2017. He had a 23-25 record with the Dolphins, but that didn’t stop the Jets from hiring as the head coach too. It was a disaster, even if he had now-Super Bowl winner Sam Darnold under center. He ended up with a 9-23 record with the Jets. Overall, his HC record is 32-48 and no one saw him since then.

Since 2024, Gase was a strategic advisor for the football intelligence, technology, and media company The 33rd Team alongside Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia. Hence, Gase has been watching the NFL from outside of the bubble. It’s a really weird hire by the Chargers.

The Chargers have a lot of pressure on their shoulders

The Chargers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2018 season. After that, they’ve missed four playoff trips and have also lost three times in the Wild Card Round. At first, they changed the coach to bring back Jim Harbaugh. Now, they changed the OC and brought the mastermind Mike McDaniel to call plays. Those two paired with an elite talent like Justin Herbert makes this offense a force to be reckoned with.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Greg Roman is one of three coaches going into in-person interviews with the Jets. Roman formerly coached Lamar Jackson to become a unanimous MVP in 2019. Then, he was Justin Herbert’s OC in the Chargers for the last two years.

According to Fowler, there were five interviews done virtually, but the list narrowed down to just three now. Roman is quite an intriguing name, as he defies what many teams are looking for.

Greg Roman is an old school yet smart coach

Roman is an old-school coach who has been under the Harbaugh tree pretty much his whole career. Hence, he is a run-heavy schemer that doesn’t exactly aligns with the NFL today. Nowadays, it’s creativity and QBs shining what gets you a job as OC. Roman is more pragmatic and traditional.

Still, Roman is no stranger to make a QB shine. It’s just not as flashy. However, he made Jackson the MVP and Justin Herbert get Pro Bowl honors. There is nothing secure yet, but Roman is surely one of the most intriguing candidates.

The Jets need to spark something on offense

The Jets also interviewed a Super Bowl winner for the OC spot. Whoever gets the role must need to be an effective hire. The Jets offense has been bad for years now, and the team is desperate to finally have a productive unit.

Although the former Miami Dolphins coach interviewed with several teams—not just for coordinator roles but also for head coaching positions—McDaniel ultimately expressed great enthusiasm for the Chargers’ offer, eager to work not only with Jim Harbaugh but also with Justin Herbert.

“He was in high spirits and just excited about attacking something,” McDaniel said via NFL.com. “You lose in the playoffs in the first round, it’s a lot of work that you feel kind of like you have an empty stomach. So that hunger, I could hear in his voice. He was excited to start a new chapter, and to really tackle the process of the offseason to be our best versions of ourselves come next fall.

“So it was enthusiastic. I was in a room talking with a really loud, inside voice out of passion, and I think he recognized that we were both geeked for the future and the possibilities that it brings.”

McDaniel’s experience as a West Coast OC

Mike McDaniel was the tactical engine behind the 49ers’ dominant ground game before taking over as Offensive Coordinator in 2021. During his five-year tenure in San Francisco, he transformed a revolving door of running backs into a top-tier unit, helping the team rank 7th in total offense and reach the NFC Championship in his final season.

Known for weaponizing Deebo Samuel in the ‘wide-back’ role, McDaniel’s creative play-design and run-game expertise became the blueprint for the 49ers’ offensive identity.

Maximizing Herbert’s stats

Despite a solid individual campaign in 2025, Justin Herbert and the Chargers are looking for a spark to elevate their offensive ceiling. Herbert finished the season with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, posting a 60.7 QBR (94.1 passer rating) while navigating a run-heavy scheme.

With the high-profile arrival of Mike McDaniel as the new Offensive Coordinator, the goal is to modernize the playbook and maximize Herbert’s elite arm talent. McDaniel, known for his creative play-design and success in Miami and San Francisco, is expected to refine Herbert’s efficiency and turn those numbers into a more explosive, top-tier offense for the 2026 season.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Chargers are set to interview Brian Daboll for the OC job. However, it won’t go without any competition, as Daboll interviewed Friday for the Titans head coaching job and other teams have looked at him as potential OC.

However, the Chargers also have another former AFC coach as a possible OC, so Daboll is not the only option, though an intriguing one. Daboll was dismissed mid-season as the New York Giants head coach.

Daboll as an OC would be ideal for the Chargers

Daboll’s reputation rose as fast as minute rice during Josh Allen’s second season in the NFL. He was basically a bust until Daboll transformed him into an actual superstar. He then made Daniel Jones look good in his first year as Giants HC and even won a playoff game, which earned him COTY honors.

While Herbert doesn’t need salvation as a player, he does need help in terms of scheme. Greg Roman had a very pedestrian playbook, and Daboll’s cleverness could be what finally makes Herbert take another step towards playoffs success.

Daboll has key strenghts to bolster this offense

What sets Daboll apart is his ability to use crossing routes and RPOs to create easy throws and mismatches. While Herbert is not a dual-threat quarterback like Allen, Jones, or even Jaxson Dart, he still can run. Herbert also has arguably the most accurate arm of all this, with Allen being the other one. What it’s true, is that Daboll has shown plenty of successful ideas when paired with an elite QB.

The latest report, shared by insider Ian Rapoport on X, indicates that the Los Angeles franchise is set to interview former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel in the coming days.

While McDaniel remains one of the leading candidates to land a head coaching job among the teams that parted ways with their HC this past season, his strong track record as an offensive coordinator makes him an ideal fit to work alongside Harbaugh following Greg Roman’s departure.

The former Dolphins coach is also believed to be a top target for the Detroit Lions, who are reportedly eyeing him as a potential addition to Dan Campbell’s staff. Ultimately, it will come down to which direction McDaniel chooses as he weighs his options ahead of next season.

Harbaugh targets a fresh start

Two straight playoff exits—combined with just one total touchdown scored across both games—have forced the Chargers into a period of self-reflection. Greg Roman’s departure felt inevitable, and now Harbaugh understands that the team needs a breath of fresh air moving forward.

“A fresh start, a new direction,” the HC said, via the team’s official website. “Greg is a great football mind, had a lot of success. Also a fresh start for him, fresh start for our team and our offense.”

He also added: “There was much that was done well, much that was done really good. Multiple [offensive] line combinations, that was true. It was very hard, very tough. The NFL is unforgiving, it’s unfair, it’s hard, that’s the nature of the business. What we feel like is a direction that’s going to make us better, we’re always striving for that. Whether that’s with players, coaches, myself included. It’s a results-oriented business.”

Herbert looks to boost his 2025 stats

Last season, Justin Herbert posted 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions with a 60.8 QBR. While these numbers remain solid, he will likely aim to sharpen his efficiency and reduce turnovers to reclaim his status among the league’s elite next year.

After interviewing Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Dolphins will interview Chargers DC Jesse Minter and 49ers DC Robert Saleh. All this comes to light after Dolphins’ possible target, John Harbaugh, signed with the Giants.

The Dolphins already had interviews with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak. Hence, this marks a change of focus now, where the Dolphins went from offensive-minded coaches to now going the other route with defensive coordinators.

Robert Saleh has made his name relevant again

After getting unceremoniously fired by the New York Jets, Robert Saleh’s future as a head coach in the NFL looked cloudy. However, his work as the 49ers DC has been so great, that within a year, he is back in the radar for many teams.

Not only that, but Saleh has done a magnificent job without the team’s two best defensive players. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner have missed most of the year and Saleh has made this defense a situationally great unit regardless. If he lands a head coaching job, whether it’s with the Dolphins or elsewhere, he is on redemption time.

Jesse Minter is also an intriguing name

Minter, who serves as Justin Herbert‘s Chargers DC, has been an interim HC once in his career, albeit at the collegiate level. However, his job with the Chargers is too good to ignore.

It’s the same with Saleh, as Christian McCaffrey had the 49ers offense rolling. The difference is that Minter is seeking his first head coaching job in the NFL, so he has all to prove, but also the responsibility to create credibility around his name.

Last year, everything ended in utter failure with an early exit from the playoffs after unexpectedly losing to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round. It’s time for revenge.

Now, on the road to the Super Bowl, the Chargers will face the New England Patriots. A very tough matchup against Drake Maye, a candidate for MVP, and a team motivated by the arrival of Mike Vrabel.

What happens if Chargers lose to Patriots today in 2026 NFL playoffs?

If the Chargers lose today against the Patriots, they will be officially eliminated. In this scenario, New England would face in the Divisional Round the winner of the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans.

What happens if Chargers beat Patriots in Wild Card round?

If the Chargers beat the Patriots in the Wild Card, they would advance to the Divisional Round. Then, as the No. 7 seed, they would face the Denver Broncos on the road. Another chapter in the AFC West rivalry.

What happens if Chargers and Patriots tie in 2026 playoffs?

If the Chargers and the Patriots tie today in the Wild Card Round of the 2026 NFL playoffs, the game would be decided in overtime. Each team is guaranteed a possession, but under the new NFL rules, a safety on the first drive would end the matchup.

What happens if Patriots lose today to Chargers in 2026 playoffs?

If the Patriots lose today to the Chargers, they would be eliminated from the playoffs. However, the future would look very promising with Mike Vrabel as head coach, Drake Maye as quarterback, and plenty of cap space.

According to multiple reports, the Browns asked permission to interview Jesse Minter, Chargers current defensive coordinator, for their head coaching vacancy. Minter has found incredible success under Jim Harbaugh.

While the HC designs great plays for Justin Herbert, Minter has made this Chargers defense one of the best units in the NFL. Still, the Ravens could also lose a coach to the Browns, as Minter is not the only candidate.

While not the only candidate, Minter is the most intriguing one

Minter has the Chargers as the fifth-best total defense, fifth-best passing defense, eighth-best rushing defense, and ninth-best scoring defense. Overall, Minter has made an elite unit shine in this year. Minter became the team’s defensive coordinator back in 2024.

Minter also worked with Harbaugh at Michigan, also as DC. They won the Natty together, and even served as the interim head coach while Harbaugh served a suspension. Minter won that game. At 42 years old, he is one of the biggest head coaching prospects in the NFL.

The Browns need to get this hire right

The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski, and the decision was the right one. It seems like both parties were done with each other. However, he is a two-time Coach of the Year, and that is hard to replace, especially on the Browns franchise.

Not only have the Browns not been good for many years, but they need a top coach to help develop Shedeur Sanders as well. It’s more than just a head coach job, it’s a developing matter and a rebuild all at once.

However, the Chargers are still focused on playoff seeding. Being the No. 5 seed guarantees facing the Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, while the No. 6 and 7 spots would likely put them against the Broncos, Patriots, or Jaguars.

On the road to the Super Bowl, potential opponents and the venues they must travel to are fundamental factors. For the Chargers, all of that will be determined depending on their result in Week 18 against the Broncos.

Are the Chargers out of the playoffs if they lose to Broncos?

No. The Chargers are not out of the playoffs even with a loss against the Broncos. They have already clinched a playoff spot, and the only consequence of not winning in Denver is that they could fall to the No. 7 seed if the Bills beat the Jets. If that is confirmed, they would play the entire postseason on the road.

Can the Chargers win the AFC West?

No, the Chargers cannot win the AFC West because they are two games behind the Broncos. Even though a win in Denver would give them the tiebreaker between the two teams, they cannot catch them in the overall record.

What happens if Chargers beat Broncos in Week 18?

If the Chargers beat the Broncos, that would put them at a 12-5 record. In this scenario, they would be guaranteed at least the No. 6 seed, and a Texans loss to the Colts would move them up to the No. 5 seed.