By appointing Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator, the Chargers have rekindled optimism two years after they brought it back with Jim Harbaugh.
For a team that was last seen watching their quarterback repeatedly hit the turf in an ugly playoff loss to the Patriots, McDaniel’s addition to the coaching staff has created new excitement, whether it’s because of his occasionally daring personality or the anticipation for the schematic wrinkles he’s sure to bring.
Naturally, that playoff loss and the Chargers’ current failure to go past the wild-card round are the reasons for an addition like McDaniel.
Harbaugh has transformed the Chargers into a postseason team like he always has, but he hasn’t advanced them far in the playoffs yet. Harbaugh guided the 49ers to three consecutive NFC championship games and a Super Bowl trip after taking over the team in 2011. He is still working to help the Chargers win a postseason game.
When asked on The Pat McAfee Show how he felt about his Chargers’ current situation, Harbaugh responded:
“The thing that’s not good is we’re not playing our best football at the end of the season, in those playoffs,”
“That focus to [be] better and best in the elimination games.”
“We’re not playing our best football in the playoffs”
“We’re not playing our best football in the playoffs..
We’ve gotta be at our best in those games”@jimharbaugh #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/XOI4dM4yTh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 25, 2026
Even though Harbaugh is well-known for his family’s distinctive “enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” oddball stories, and passion for football, it’s obvious that the Chargers’ failure to make the playoffs during his first two seasons in Los Angeles has affected him.
