Jim Harbaugh landed the most coveted offensive coordinator in the market this offseason in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. With McDaniel and Justin Herbert, the sky really is the limit for the LA Chargers in 2026.
McDaniel's tenure in Los Angeles is almost certainly going to be short-lived and he already told fans as much. With that future staring the Chargers in the face, it's imperative for the team to lay the groundwork for a potential heir to the offensive throne, similar to how Chris O'Leary is taking over for Jesse Minter on defense.
It looked like the Chargers had their solution when the New York Jets fired offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand last week. Engstrand has ties to Jim Harbaugh and coached under Ben Johnson, making himself an intriguing coach to potentially learn under McDaniel for a year before taking over an offense once more.
Well, the Chargers didn't seem to think it was a perfect marriage. The Atlanta Falcons officially hired Engstrand to be the team's passing game coordinator in a move the Chargers could have emulated if they really wanted to.
Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers pass on a Tanner Engstrand reunion... again
This isn't the first time the Chargers could have hired Engstrand in some capacity. Harbaugh could have poached the young coach to be part of his offensive staff when he was hired in 2024. Heck, there was even a case to be made that he would've been a better hire than Greg Roman.
Alas, Harbaugh didn't seem to have any interest in Engstrand. The Chargers didn't even interview him in 2024 when several other teams did. Now they had the chance to bring him in to serve a lesser role and it didn't happen. It's safe to say Harbaugh and Co. do not have any interest.
That is surprising given the track record. Engstrand's ties with Harbaugh go all the way back to the University of San Diego, where Engstrand coached on Harbaugh's staff before the latter went to Stanford. The two even reunited at Michigan in 2018 when Engstrand was hired as an offensive analyst.
Harbaugh has been painfully loyal to his guys in the past, and with the added wrinkle of Ben Johnson exposure, Engstrand truly did seem like a perfect fit. In theory, he could have coached under McDaniel for however long he stays in Los Angeles knowing he would take over once McDaniel leaves.
That's a more tantalizing situation than the Falcons' passing game coordinator job, which makes it pretty clear the Chargers had no interest. And with Harbaugh passing on Engstrand twice now, it's safe to say he won't ever be a target for the Bolts.