It's widely accepted that Jim Harbaugh is one of the better head coaches in the NFL. After all, Harbaugh completely reinvented the culture of the LA Chargers and led the team to back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in nearly two decades.
The latest report cards from the NFLPA throw a wrench in that perceived reality, however.
ESPN obtained the results to the 2026 NFLPA report cards and the Chargers fared much better than in previous years. There was one interesting catch, however; the team's head coach (Harbaugh) received just a C+ grade.
While a C+ is still a passing grade, the important context here is that only two head coaches received a lower grade than Harbaugh in this year's survey. No, that isn't a typo.
Jim Harbaugh ranks surprisingly low on 2026 NFLPA survey
The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns were the only teams who had worse scores for their head coach. New York had two head coaches after firing Brian Daboll midseason and the Browns fired Kevin Stefanski after the season.
The only other head coach to receive a C+ grade or worse was Pete Carroll, whose lone season in Las Vegas was so bad that the Raiders unceremoniously fired him after the season. Every other head coach in the league received a B- or better.
Last year the Chargers received a B+ grade for their head coach, which was around the middle of the pack. Still not as high as fans would have expected with how quickly Harbaugh has changed the culture in Los Angeles.
There are two possible explanations for this, one being more likely than the other. The most likely reason is Harbaugh's blind faith to those who didn't deserve it. Harbaugh is loyal to a fault and this resulted in Greg Roman getting another full season with the Chargers despite struggling in 2024.
Roman received a D- grade for his efforts, which highlights how disliked he was among those in the locker room. That likely plays a huge factor in why Harbaugh received the grade that he received.
There is also always the possibility of several disgruntled players voicing their concerns in this way. Mekhi Becton has publicly blasted the Chargers and it's hard to imagine him giving a high grade if he participated. Other players who were phased out of the regular game plan could've also voiced their frustration via the survey.
Either way, it's clear that the perception of Harbaugh outside the locker room does not match up with the perception inside the locker room. The hope now is that Harbaugh has saved that reputation by moving on from Roman to move the organization forward.
Otherwise, his tenure with the Chargers is nothing more than a ticking time bomb. It doesn't matter how much fans like Harbaugh, if those in the locker room don't respect him then the Chargers will never reach the heights they are capable of.
Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the situation the Chargers find themselves in as Roman forced Harbaugh's hand with the firing. It's still concerning all the same.