3 silver linings Chargers can pull from the remainder of a disastrous 2026 campaign

Needless to say, this start to the Los Angeles Chargers' campaign couldn't have gone any worse.

After losing that first pair of games to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, with no real signs of life from the offense to boot, everyone knew Los Angeles could be in trouble. Now, as the Chargers approach their Week 7 bye, they're currently keeping company with the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans at the bottom of the standings.

For all intents and purposes, their hopes of a truly competitive season have already ended. So where do we go from here?

Unless Jim Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, and Joe Hortiz get fired mid-season (not happening), this is a team that, until further notice, is going to be attempting to build for next season. The focus, then, should shift to developments that can help the Chargers position themselves to return to competitiveness in 2027.

It's a disappointing outcome, but it's the reality we're left with—especially given the injuries that have come to plague the roster as things continue to spiral out of control. Here, then, are three potential silver linings to watch for over the remainder of this nightmare campaign.

3 storylines Chargers fans should be watching for after 0-5 start tanks season

1. Chris O'Leary seems to be the DC of the future—can he take control of this unit entirely?

It was always going to be an uphill battle for first-time playcaller Chris O'Leary to come anywhere close to replicating what Jesse Minter was able to accomplish on the defensive side of the ball during his two years in Los Angeles. Minter did an excellent job maximizing the talent he had at his disposal, and there's a lot of room for variance when a new coordinator takes over.

Across Weeks 1 and 2, it seemed as though O'Leary's doubters had been justified. The pressure packages simply weren't as potent, and the secondary seemed to be full of miscues and mistakes. But the Chargers have since buckled down, limiting Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, and Bo Nix in consecutive games to relatively modest production. Through Week 5, the Chargers are eighth in the NFL in fewest total passing yards allowed and are 10th in rushing yards per attempt. O'Leary has accomplished that feat with two of his top secondary pieces—Derwin James Jr. and Donte Jackson—missing time.

Oh, and the Chargers offense hasn't helped them out much either. Los Angeles has ceded the most drives starting in plus territory to their opponents in the NFL this season—by far.

All things considered, O'Leary seems to be a worthy replacement for Minter. If he can keep this level of production going across the remainder of the campaign, Los Angeles has almost certainly found its DC of the future.

2. Continued improvement from Akheem Mesidor and Jake Slaughter

In any season where the playoffs are out of the question, the next most important storyline is the development of the young pieces on a roster. If Justin Herbert can find his footing under Mike McDaniel's scheme and look like the quarterback we know him to be, then that will likely supercede any marginal roster improvements—but it's not time to bank on that just yet.

For now, the focus should shift to the two cornerstones of the this rookie class for the Chargers. Mesidor, through five weeks, has looked like the perfect complement to Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack in the pass rush, leveraging his speed, power, and alignment versatility to create pressure opportunities for his counterparts. He's amassed nine pressures and four sacks during his short NFL career, and he seems to be continuing to improve on a week-to-week basis in terms of his confidence. We may need to see him take on a primary role soon if Mack departs via trade, but for now he's been one of the highlights of the Chargers season in a complementary role.

Slaughter, meanwhile, has struggled—but it's hard to put all of the blame for that on him alone. He hasn't had a stable position, or a stable pairing on the offensive line, since he joined the Chargers, and the continued turmoil of the offense certainly hasn't helped with his acclimation to the NFL game. He's allowed nine pressures and one sack on 196 pass-blocking snaps to this point in the season, but he's shown enough flashes in the run game to believe there's room for him to find some consistency when (or if) the offensive line gets whole again.

3. Quentin Johnston can (hopefully) still be activated over the remainder of the campaign

This is more of a 'cross your fingers' take than the first two. The offense simply hasn't shown enough to believe there's a major season for Johnston just sitting in the wings somewhere. Of course, part of that is the fault of Johnston, who's struggled to earn separation and capitalize on his opportunities even when he's been open. He's posted just seven receptions for 108 yards this season across four games.

But Los Angeles has already committed to Johnston's fifth-year option, meaning the organization is currently slated to owe him nearly $16.5 million in 2027.

It's hard to imagine that Johnston has much trade value at the moment, and assuming the Chargers don't want to move him, they need him to find a way to get activated in their new offensive scheme before the end of the season. If he can at least start to produce consistently in the intermediate parts of the field, the Chargers can start to feel a little less ill-at-ease about the money they owe him for the final year of his contract.

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