After the way last season went for the Los Angeles Chargers, it was time for things to change.
Sure, 11 wins is a solid campaign on the surface. But the offense died on the vine from the moment that Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater went down, and Greg Roman simply didn't have the answers to account for the team's lack of viable protection.
The hiring of Mike McDaniel, more than anything else, represents exactly that— change. And with change comes optimism. Under McDaniel, the hope is that Los Angeles will escape the schematic stagnancy and unimaginative play-calling that plagued the first two years of the Jim Harbaugh era.
Every single one of the Chargers' moves on the offensive side of the ball this offseason reflect that fact. Los Angeles' hopes rest on McDaniel's ability to institute his scheme—and to do it quickly.
Training camp is where that will truly start to take shape, and all eyes will be on McDaniel and his additions over the month of August.
All eyes are on Mike McDaniel as the Chargers enter training camp
While the defensive side of the ball largely stayed the same this offseason, Los Angeles had the luxury to let many of their offensive depth pieces walk, opening up room for them to shape the offense in McDaniel's image.
They added Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, and Jake Slaughter along the offensive line. While Biadasz will be an easy upgrade over the retired Bradley Bozeman, both Strange and Slaughter leave some room for doubt. While they both have the athleticism to find success in McDaniel and Butch Barry's zone-blocking scheme, neither has a particularly inspiring resumé at the position. Both the signing of Strange and the selection of Slaughter in the 2026 NFL Draft are gambles on McDaniel's vision.
Their tight end room was also reshaped with the additions of Charlie Kolar and David Njoku in free agency. Kolar will take on a vital blocking role, and he even has a chance to carve out a place for himself as TE1. If McDaniel can figure out the hierarchy between Kolar, Njoku, and emergent pass-catcher Oronde Gadsden II, there's room to strike a perfect balance here.
Keaton Mitchell and Alec Ingold will also have major roles to play. Mitchell has a chance to see a major snap increase as an explosive, outside-zone threat. While Ingold's snap share will be limited, he was a vital blocking piece for McDaniel's run game with the Miami Dolphins.
The changes don't end with the new acquisitions, though. Even Justin Herbert will need to shape his game according to McDaniel's scheme. Herbert took one day off a week during OTAs to simply focus on his footwork, and McDaniel's emphasis on quick-timing throws will require a change in how Herbert views the game on a down-to-down basis.
As we enter training camp, therefore, McDaniel will be the center of attention. It's on his shoulders to help get this Chargers team over the hump in year three of the Harbaugh era, and it will be his acquisitions and his changes to the scheme that bear the brunt of what's to come.
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