There is a lot of excitement in the air when it comes to the LA Chargers. After one of the most disappointing seasons in recent franchise history, the Chargers hired the most prolific head coach on the market in Jim Harbaugh and have been building around him ever since.
Harbaugh has won everywhere he has coached regardless of if it was professional or college. He is exactly the kind of culture-resetting head coach that Chargers fans have been begging for over the last decade-plus.
While the tandem of Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert looks to be one of the best in the league, the Chargers still do not have as many believers as in years past. ESPN's Football Power Index certainly does not believe in the Bolts as LA is ranked below the league average heading into 2024.
First look at FPI ratings for the 2024 NFL season. pic.twitter.com/6eQF5hshMS
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) May 29, 2024
ESPN ranks Chargers as a below-average team in 2024
The Chargers check in two spots below the median and have a -0.2 on the FPI. With zero considered average, the Chargers are viewed as the best of the below-average teams heading into the 2024 season. That being said, because of a light schedule, the Chargers are still given a 45% chance of making the playoffs in 2024.
This might seem harsh considering all of the hype around the team heading into 2024 but it is completely justified. From a talent perspective, even with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, the Chargers are still below average.
The offensive skill position players around Herbert leave a lot to be desired. The Chargers are relying on a running back room with injury concerns and a wide receiver room without a true No. 1 to lead the way. At tight end, the Chargers are one of the thinnest teams in the league from a pass-catching perspective.
Defensively there is some talent, particularly in the trenches, but there is a really bad secondary that struggled last season and didn't improve much in the offseason. The hope is that coaching can elevate the secondary but from a talent perspective, it is thin.
And that is the story of the 2024 Chargers. This is a team that is absolutely, without a doubt, below average from a talent standpoint. It is easy to look at the glass-half-full with your favorite team but it is time Chargers fans realize that the glass is more empty than it is full.
That being said, it is up to the coaching staff to elevate this below-average roster into one that can contend for a playoff spot and perhaps even win a playoff game. If he is as great as Chargers fans are hoping, then Harbaugh should be able to do just that.