As promising as the Los Angeles Chargers' 2026 offseason has been, there's still ample room for uncertainty this season.
Of course, there's the factor of an entirely new offensive outlook under Mike McDaniel. Will McDaniel truly be able to leverage the talents of Justin Herbert and the offensive arsenal as a whole? That remains to be seen.
But there's also uncertainty, that has largely been cast to the side, in the addition of Chris O'Leary as defensive coordinator. O'Leary worked under former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter at three different stops, including as the Chargers' safeties coach in 2024. There's likely no candidate who's better poised to replicate the success that Minter found during his tenure with the organization.
But there will also be some changes to the structure of the defense. It's inevitable when bringing in a new coordinator, at least from a perspective of goals and terminology. When asked about the changes O'Leary is implementing in his press appearance after OTAs on Wednesday, Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley kept things vague:
Chargers LB Daiyan Henley on scheme differences with Chris O'Leary vs. Minter: "He's making it an easy transition for us to say the least."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) May 27, 2026
"This is his defense. We're going to play it how he sees fit."
"We're evolving...It's completely different than what you guys know."
The "easy transition" comment is encouraging. But in refusing to provide details, Henley keeps Chargers fans guessing about what changes O'Leary will attempt to implement in 2026.
Chris O'Leary will likely keep most of the Chargers' defensive infrastructure intact in 2026, but there are changes coming
Any time a new coordinator comes in, there are uncertainties around the changes they'll attempt to make. Here's what we know will almost certainly be the same, though, under O'Leary.
Minter ran zone defensive coverages 83.1% of the time in 2026, per Sharp Football Analysis. This allowed the Chargers to maximize the talent they had available among their defensive backs while utilizing Derwin James as a 'do-it-all' safety at all three levels of the field. O'Leary used close to the same proportion while also leveraging a heavier man attack when it was utilized.
O'Leary also places a heavy emphasis on pre-snap communication, similar to Minter's scheme. The Chargers should have plenty of time to get in touch with the new terminology and new ways of communicating that O'Leary will attempt to install this offseason.
Here's where it could be different.
O'Leary's scheme at Western Michigan was also dependent upon heavy pressure from the front seven, with varied blitzes and exotic looks being one of his calling cards. The Chargers blitzed just 18.9% of the time in 2025. That's a number we could see increase under O'Leary.
O'Leary also heavily depended upon single-high structures during his lone season at Western Michigan, allowing him to inject extra pressure into the tackle box. Los Angeles played with a heavy box just 18.9% of the time in 2025, meaning that O'Leary could pump that number up as well as he feels out the role that Derwin James will have in his scheme.
In short, Henley believes the Chargers defense is "evolving" this offseason. That's an encouraging sign.
We don't know the details just yet, but it's clear that O'Leary will bring some changes to their overall attack in 2026.
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