Jason McCourty didn’t sugarcoat it when he talked about the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday. After their 0-6 start to the 2026 season, the former NFL defensive back sent a blunt message: avoid becoming the kind of perfect-season story nobody wants.
The Chargers are now one of only two winless teams left in the league, alongside the Miami Dolphins, after the Tennessee Titans beat the Indianapolis Colts 26-20 on Sunday. For McCourty, that place on the standings carries a heavy warning, especially because he lived through an 0-16 season with the Cleveland Browns in 2017.
Ahead of Monday night’s San Francisco 49ers-Washington Commanders game, ESPN’s Pat McAfee shared a clip on X, formerly Twitter, of McCourty speaking during Monday Night Countdown. McCourty said:
“I know what it feels like to go 0-for, 0-16 in 2017. Guys, find a way to win a game.
Congratulations to your Tennessee Titans @JasonMcCourty..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 19, 2026
We're all very happy for you 😂😂 #MondayNightCountdown pic.twitter.com/7jOKm5ZxZ4
You don't want to be a part of that type of history. Even sunny days won't make you happy.
Find a way to win at least one game. Do not get a perfect season the wrong way.”
That warning landed after another rough Chargers performance, a 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday that dropped Los Angeles to 0-6 for the first time since 2000. That Chargers team, which had current head coach Jim Harbaugh at quarterback, finished 1-15.
The slide is especially jarring given what Los Angeles did in the previous two seasons, when it won 11 games in back-to-back years. Against Kansas City, the offense never got going. The Chargers finished with 259 total yards, didn’t score a touchdown and saw Justin Herbert get sacked four times.
Harbaugh addressed the offensive issues after the loss and said the team needs to take a hard look at every part of the operation, including first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
The latest result also gave more context to McCourty’s concern. His former Titans team picked up its first win of 2026 to improve to 1-5, leaving the Chargers and Dolphins as the league’s only winless clubs. With Los Angeles headed into its Week 7 bye without a victory, the franchise is now staring at the same kind of unwanted company that included the 2017 Browns and 2008 Detroit Lions.
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