The Los Angeles Chargers have put the “Loss” in Los Angeles in July, experiencing tribulations via the Najee Harris eye injury and the sudden retirement of Mike Williams.
However, even as the month has overall raised more questions than answers, there are several overarching reasons to feel confident about the team heading into 2025.
Here’s a look at why Chargers fans shouldn’t falter in their belief in the franchise.
Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
The Chargers’ head coach is heading into his second season with the team, which means he has had more time to incorporate his culture and further develop his vision. Many can compare the addition of the veteran Harbaugh with Sean Payton to the east in Denver.
Payton climbed from 8-9 in his first season to make the playoffs in his second season. Harbaugh’s first season’s six-win jump was more of a leapfrog than Payton’s inaugural three-win jump, which gives hope that he can not only follow the pattern, but can elevate the team past the 12-win mark. If the Chargers can do that, they will be in play for the number one seed in the AFC.
Justin Herbert Trending Up
The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback has yet to put out a truly disappointing touchdown-interception ratio in his career, but the quarterback managed to turn in the best ratio of his career under Harbaugh, indicating that it could be the start of a new era. In the vast majority of situations, if a team’s quarterback is turning in a performance like Herbert’s 23-touchdown, three-interception year in 2024, nine wins is usually the floor.
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Herbert also turned in the best passer rating of his career in his first season under Harbaugh, indicating that his efficiency is boosted by having the head coach around. As long as Herbert and Harbaugh stick together, the Chargers have to like their chances in any game this season.
Ladd McConkey is also coming off an impressive inaugural season, which suggests he could be in for bigger things in 2025, which is music to Herbert’s ears.
Potentially Weakening Division
Of course, the elephant in the room is the thorny AFC West. However, while it could be the toughest division in football at face value, it could also be due for a less difficult outlook than projected. Bo Nix had a great rookie campaign, but there are countless examples of successful rookie quarterbacks turning in lukewarm or worse performances in Year 2 (Mac Jones and Daniel Jones are two notable names in recent memory).
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As for the Kansas City Chiefs, there seems to be a level of exhaustion with the team that wasn’t there before. According to Henry McKenna of FOX Sports, one Chiefs coach had admitted that “it does” get old to get to the Super Bowl. If there is a level of apathy in the building, it could open the door for the hungry Chargers late in the season.
Last but not least, it’s hard to write off the Raiders under the tutelage of Pete Carroll and a perennial nine-win quarterback in Geno Smith, but the Raiders’ overall lack of playoff experience is likely to show in January (if they get that far), which opens the door for the Los Angeles Chargers.