Chargers linked to huge Jim Harbaugh coaching change amid 2026 collapse originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Chargers might be the 2026 NFL season's biggest disappointment. While the 2-4 Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys are underwhelming, the 0-6 Chargers are easily the biggest disappointment of the year.
Winless through six weeks, with the Mike McDaniel offense looking about as bleak as it's ever looked. Justin Herbert looks like a shell of his former self, and the team as a whole has not been able to win yet this year.
Heading into a Week 7 bye, there is speculation running around about a potential coaching change with McDaniel. But looking ahead to the offseason, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler isn't ruling out Jim Harbaugh getting fired this offseason.
Jim Harbaugh could actually get fired for a disastrous 2026 season
"What do the Chargers do with Harbaugh if the season continues to sink? It's not the Chargers' style to pay a coach millions to not coach," Fowler writes. "But as a few industry sources pointed out, a bottom-of-the-league finish would force the Chargers to do some soul-searching, in part because the Chargers don't bring in as much revenue for their home games as other teams do, because they don't own their home stadium."
While the Chargers won't just fire Harbaugh because fan interest has begun to dry up a bit amid a horrendous 2026 season, if things continue to spiral out of control, firing Harbaugh could bring about some much-needed change.
Unfortunately, one of the questions the Chargers might find themselves asking this upcoming offseason is a simple one. Do they stick with Herbert or Harbaugh?
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It's not like the two cannot work together, but such a disastrous season requires significant change for there to be any sort of optimism or belief going forward.
Trading a few players at the trade deadline this year and adding a few players over the offseason might not be enough. Herbert's struggles might lead to a blockbuster trade, or the Chargers giving him another chance with a new head coach and playcaller.
The 2026 season has been a nightmare for the Chargers, and it wouldn't be a surprise if it got worse from here on out.
If the Chargers' 2026 collapse continues, and they're sitting near the bottom of the league by the end of the season, seeing Harbaugh fired might not be a total shocker.
It would be a surprise, in the sense that it's not something the Chargers might normally do. But this hasn't been a normal season, and some massive change needs to happen if things get worse. That could come with Harbaugh's firing if they make such a decision.
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