Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh must get with the times or get left behind. That's why he hired Mike McDaniel to be the club's offensive coordinator this offseason.
Harbaugh could've brought in one of his lackeys, as he has been prone to do, albeit to a fault. Instead, the 62-year-old chose to expand his horizons and introduce a fresh viewpoint. McDaniel's arrival alone was a clear indicator that the Chargers plan to operate a little differently moving forward, and that's proven true thus far.
It's not hard to see the influence McDaniel has — and will continue to have — on the Chargers. His addition is basically an admission of failure for Harbaugh, who's been unable to maximize franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, as FanSided's Jason La Canfora highlighted.
"After two years of Justin Herbert still not fully reaching his ceiling under Harbaugh, and the Chargers continuing to stall in the playoffs, it was time for [Harbaugh] to step outside his coaching cocoon," La Canfora wrote. "L.A. required new concepts and philosophies and coaching styles to cull more explosion and speed and precision from the downfield attack."
Mike McDaniel may finally unlock Justin Herbert in ways Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh hasn't
Anything that falls under the Chargers' offense is now McDaniel's "domain," per La Canfora, and that includes Herbert. Harbaugh's "throwback, move-the-chains approach" is officially a thing of the past
There's a place for Harbaugh's steadfast commitment to winning in the trenches, just not in Los Angeles. Herbert has otherworldly arm talent; he shouldn't be spearheading a ground-and-pound attack.
When you have a star of Herbert's caliber at football's most important position, he ought to be the conductor of the train. The Chargers will go as far as two-time Pro Bowler can take them, which is where McDaniel comes in. Their strengths complement each other quite nicely, like La Canfora touched on.
Herbert became the first player in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in each of his first three seasons. The star signal-caller hasn't hit that mark since, and he's set to enter Year 7 as a pro. Coincidence or not, the regression notably overlaps with the Bolts naming Harbaugh as their front man.
The Chargers have a lot to prove as a team in 2026, but McDaniel, Herbert and Harbaugh must also show what they're made of. Meanwhile, all we know is that the previous old-school version of this group "no longer exists," according to La Canfora.
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