After years of playing second fiddle in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers believe they’re finally ready to flip the script in 2025 — and they’re not the only ones saying it.
With Jim Harbaugh now fully installed and a retooled roster taking shape, optimism is building in Los Angeles that the division title, long held hostage by the Kansas City Chiefs, is finally within reach.
Former Los Angeles Chargers LB Believes The Hype
Former linebacker Shawne Merriman was emphatic in a recent appearance on Up and Adams, predicting a breakthrough season for his old team.
“I’m not just saying it because I’m a Charger. I think they’re going to win the division this year,” Merriman said. “I really feel that way.”
For Merriman and others, the Harbaugh effect is impossible to ignore. Despite inheriting a roster in transition last season — and one that parted ways with longtime leaders like Keenan Allen — Harbaugh immediately raised the Chargers’ floor. That progress, Merriman argues, is only the beginning.
“Remember before the season started last year, nobody saw the Chargers even being a playoff team,” Merriman added. “That was the exact same team, almost, minus a Keenan Allen and some of these other guys that Jim Harbaugh took over. So if he’s able to do that in one year’s time, what are they gonna be looking like this year?”
The Chargers haven’t won the AFC West since 2009. For the last nine seasons, Kansas City has dominated the division, with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid turning the Chiefs into a dynasty. But Merriman believes the momentum is shifting.
“With a full year under their belt — new guys, the coaching staff, everybody understands the system now — if you don’t think they’re gonna win the division, it’s just crazy,” he said. “I think they’re the best team in the AFC West right now.”
To many observers, the idea of anyone but Kansas City atop the standings might sound bold — the Chiefs haven’t relinquished the AFC West crown since 2016. But the team is building something new, something sustainable, and perhaps something capable of finally toppling the NFL’s most consistent winner.
For Harbaugh, the mission in 2025 is clear: capitalize on the progress, deepen the belief, and end a decade-and-a-half drought.
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