Jim Harbaugh's first season with the LA Chargers was a success. While the Chargers did not win a playoff game, the team went from five wins to 11 wins despite having a roster that arguably was worse on paper than a year prior.
After an offseason with resources to use and another exciting draft class, Chargers fans are stoked about the ceiling of the team in 2025. For many, another 11-win season would be a disappointment as the AFC West crown appears to be in the realm of possibility.
Not everyone thinks that is the case, though. In fact, some see the Chargers falling as far as third in the AFC West. NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia predicted the seven teams that will represent the AFC in the NFL Playoffs and while he has the Chargers making the dance, he has them finishing third behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.
That's right. In this prediction, the Chargers are the No. 6 seed in the AFC behind the No. 5 seed Chiefs and No. 4 seed Broncos. With the Broncos winning the AFC West, here is what Scataglia penned about the Bolts:
"Los Angeles did add some necessary offensive talent, but I do personally wonder how much better they can be, as Justin Herbert seems to have hit his peak in the NFL. Will Herbert be good enough to lead this team to anything more than another Wild Card berth?"
Chargers drop to third in AFC West as Justin Herbert receives pot shot
Denver finishing above the Chargers in the AFC playoff picture isn't the most wild prediction out there. While just about every Chargers fan would disgaree with that prediction, the Broncos were very close to the Chargers last season and could usurp them by a game with an easier schedule.
The bold part about this prediction is Denver winning the division and still only finishing as the No. 4 seed. In theory, if the Broncos are going to outlast the Chiefs (which is already unlikely) it would likely mean a 12+ win season, which would result in a higher seed.
Alas, the records of the Broncos and Chiefs in this prediction does not matter as the Chargers are finishing third behind both parties.
While it is fair to ponder if the Chargers will regress in 2025 with a tougher schedule, it does seem a bit unfair to point the analysis toward Herbert. Yes, Herbert played poorly last time we saw him in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans. However, he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the sport and elevates the Chargers higher than they should be.
Most other quarterbacks would have struggled given the circumstances Herbert had in 2024 (and for most of his career, really). Herbert had a bad interior offensive line, no real consistent weapons outside of Ladd McConkey, and a run game that was nonexistent if J.K. Dobbins wasn't playing well.
Herbert is the last person to question on the Chargers. But alas, until he wins a playoff game, those doubts from outside the Chargers bubble are going to continue to come in.