For the Los Angeles Chargers, this offseason has the potential to be era-defining.
Jim Harbaugh's tenure in Los Angeles has not gone as planned in spite of back-to-back Wild Card Round appearances. The team has struggled to amass adequate depth in key parts of their roster, have suffered abysmal injury luck, and have now lost their two playoff games by a combined score of 48-15.
If Harbaugh is to deliver on the promise he made to "get Herbert to the Hall of Fame", there is still a lot of work to be done.
This offseason presents a unique opportunity to start down that path. With offensive coordinator Greg Roman gone and the departure of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter looming, Harbaugh will need to make drastic changes to his staff.
Combined with the $110 million in cap space the Chargers currently possess, Harbaugh has the opportunity to truly build this team into a contender.
Or, if things go wrong, put an effective end to his and Herbert's dreams.
Jim Harbaugh has a set of enormous choices ahead of him this offseason
By the time the first snaps of the 2026 preseason are taken, Herbert will be 28 years old. If Harbaugh is to get him to the Hall of Fame, or even earn him a playoff win, he needs to finally assemble the right pieces around the generational quarterback.
This starts with choosing the right replacement for Roman. Roman, for various reasons, routinely failed to scheme the Chargers' weapons into games on a consistent basis. While he was certainly limited by the offensive line, his unimaginative and repetitive approach to the offense became frustrating at the end of his tenure.
Harbaugh has never coached at the NFL level without Roman by his side. It is time for him to choose a coordinator who is willing to innovate the offense, making full use of Herbert's emerging scrambling ability as well as his ability to hurl the ball downfield.
With Minter almost certainly on his way out as well, Harbaugh will need to somehow replace their schematic dynamo on the defensive side of the ball.
The roster also has a set of glaring needs, and Harbaugh will have significant input in how their cap space is distributed. The interior of the offensive line desperately needs to be re-shaped. Reinforcements at defensive tackle and in the secondary will be necessary to account for any drop-off schematically.
Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh, Teair Tart, Keenan Allen, and more crucial players all need to be re-signed.
Harbaugh has the tools and the flexibility at his disposal this offseason to truly bring this team into championship contention.
If he fails and another reset is required three years from now, there is a good chance that his job will be on the line. There is also the very real possibility that, at that time, Herbert is approaching the age of 31 without a playoff win.
Let's hope it does not come to that.