Super Bowl 58 is finally upon us. It is a nightmare scenario for 99% of football fans, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Francisco 49ers in what feels like a battle of the entitled. As it felt with the New England Patriots on multiple occasions, watching the division rival Chiefs make the big game repeatedly takes the joy out of many spectators year in and year out.
While it will undoubtedly hurt to watch this game (even more so if we have to watch Patrick Mahomes win his third Lombardi trophy in six years as a starter) the LA Chargers have done plenty to make fans optimistic for the 2024-2025 season.
A total revamping of the front office and coaching staff shows a commitment from the Spanos family to do whatever it takes to make the Chargers more than just the butt of the no-fans jokes from media and non-fans alike. Here are three things the Chargers must do to put them over the top and have them playing in New Orleans this time next year.
1. Do whatever it takes to keep Justin Herbert healthy all season
Maybe you expected this first move to be a singular acquisition. Maybe something related to the draft, a trade, or even a free agent signing. However, none of that matters if Justin Herbert misses time or plays below the standard we've become accustomed to.
Herbert has played back-to-back seasons with injuries that have either hindered him all year or at some point taken him out of games altogether. Fractured rib cartilage left the quarterback in obvious pain for almost all of last season. This year, broken fingers on each hand left Herbert with an awkward-looking setup on his non-throwing hand, and then ended his season when he broke a finger on his throwing hand against the Denver Broncos.
If the LA Chargers have any hopes of making it to Super Bowl 59, Justin Herbert just cannot play with significant injuries for the entirety of the season. Coach Harbaugh has said himself he specifically looks to keep QB1 protected, and that should bring a smile to everyone's face.
2. Draft Malik Nabers to give the Chargers receiver room a boost
Here it is. I still personally have all the faith in the world in Quentin Johnston. Even with that said, the Chargers need to go out and draft LSU receiver Malik Nabers with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 Draft. Yes, Brock Bowers may be a "Harbaugh guy" as people seem to think. However, the team cannot spend a premium pick on the tight end position. Jim Harbaugh made the 49ers work with Vernon Davis.
If the Chargers do not take Malik Nabers, they will have to hope they can pick a diamond out of the rough in a later round, or else the team will be in serious trouble as it seems they have been time and time again when just a single receiver goes down.
While new strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert should hopefully help to reduce the number of injuries the team faces, it is not a position the front office should feel comfortable being in if they got to see even just a little bit of the 2022 and 2024 Chargers teams.
The Chargers need to get an explosive player to capitalize off of what is hopefully a largely improved rushing attack. Opening up the play-action game and letting Herbert stretch the field will be much easier with another elite receiving option alongside Keenan Allen.
The likely departure of Mike Williams means the Chargers cannot afford to have zero depth at the position, and adding a star like Malik Nabers will go a long way toward bringing the Lombardi trophy to the Bolt Fam.
3. Find a replacement for Corey Linsley
Since he has been with the team, Corey Linsley has been nothing short of incredible. The Chargers seem to reach a completely different level when he is on the field compared to whenever he is out.
Unfortunately, a heart condition has forced Linsley into retirement when it feels he would have been his most valuable to the Chargers. Will Clapp has been a valiant backup anytime Corey has gone down. It is not that he has necessarily been bad, but the cohesiveness of the offensive line seems to disappear without Corey at the helm.
With the new regime coming in, I think this goal is easily attainable. Harbaugh, Roman, Andy Bischoff, and Mike Devlin should have the offensive line firing on all cylinders this upcoming season. They all have experience with commanding physically overwhelming offensive line groups, and the Chargers have the pieces necessary to ensure that things will work out this upcoming season.
If we wanted to really hammer this point home, going and drafting Jackson Powers-Johnson from the University of Oregon would be an absolute slam dunk. Whether they can (hopefully) select him with pick 37, or maybe they need to trade that pick and another asset to jump back up into the first for a player like JPJ, he would make an immediate impact and would provide long-term stability at the position which we do not have to get into in this article.
Making sure the Chargers' offensive line is stable and performing to their capabilities will give them a much better chance for Super Bowl contention this upcoming season.
The Chargers had a horrible 2023 season. Luckily, it planted the seeds for change and we are seeing the fruits of that grow in front of our own eyes. Turn the tide in one score games this upcoming season, and do the three things mentioned throughout this piece and the Chargers could find themselves in the Big Easy in no time at all.