The Chargers’ 0-2 start has already put Jim Harbaugh’s setup under a harsh spotlight, and Khalil Mack may have given the clearest sign yet that something is off inside the building.
Harbaugh arrived with the reputation of a “CEO” style head coach, the kind who oversees the operation rather than owning one side of the ball. That model depends on coordinators handling the heavy lifting while the head coach keeps the whole thing moving. In Los Angeles, though, that arrangement is drawing more attention now that the Chargers have changed coordinators on both sides of the football and the results have gone sideways fast.
After the ugly loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, reporters caught up with Mack in the locker room and asked about Harbaugh’s message to the team. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, Mack said: "Honestly, I blanked out the whole time.
I don't really know. My mind was on the game still, but I feel like it had something to do with picking up the pieces and getting this thing right."
That answer doesn’t settle everything, but it does add to the sense that the message isn’t landing the way it should.
Harbaugh also finished poorly in the latest NFLPA report card grades, a detail that was easy to brush aside at the time. His broad jokes and exaggerated delivery can play as harmless locker-room color when the team is winning. But with the Chargers now looking disjointed, that same act can feel a lot less charming.
The on-field picture isn’t helping. Justin Herbert has looked a little checked out on the sideline, and the effort on both sides of the ball has been sloppy. When a team starts playing that way, the head coach takes the heat first.
What makes this situation stand out is that Harbaugh’s style seemed tolerable when the results were still there. Now the results are gone, and the act is wearing thin. Mack’s comments, Herbert’s body language, and the team’s uneven play are all feeding the same storyline: the Harbaugh-Chargers partnership is already under real pressure.
In Other News...
Chargers 0-2 Start Just Sparked A Debate Fans Didn't Want
Two games into the 2026 season, the Chargers are already dealing with the kind of early frustration that tends to invite bigger questions. Losses to the Cardinals and Raiders have put the spotlight on more than just the record, with the discussion around the team quickly shifting to discipline, execution and whether the current approach is getting enough out of a roster built to contend.
Jim Harbaughs leadership is now part of the conversation, as are the repeated penalties that have followed Joe Alt and the uneven play from Chris OLearys defense. None of that is fatal in September, but it does leave the Chargers in a place they did not want to be this soon, with the stakes for the rest of the season already feeling a little heavier than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herberts Postgame Demeanor Just Added To Harbaugh Pressure
The Chargers 26-14 loss to the Raiders in Week 2 left them at 0-2, and Justin Herbert spent his postgame time trying to steady the message around a team already under early pressure. He said the focus has to be on correcting mistakes and staying united, a familiar refrain for a team searching for its first win while trying to avoid letting the opening stretch define the season.
Still, Herberts calm public approach only sharpened the conversation around Jim Harbaugh after another frustrating afternoon for the offense. Analyst John Frascella took aim at Harbaughs effect on Herberts confidence, adding another layer to the scrutiny now following the Chargers into a Week 3 matchup with the Bills. For a team with bigger expectations than an 0-2 start, the next game already feels like more than just another Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers' 0-2 Start Puts One Early Problem Front And Center
The Chargers season is only two games old, but the early picture is already hard to ignore. A loss to the Raiders left Los Angeles winless, even with some encouraging individual moments on offense, including a touchdown catch by rookie tight end Gadsden, a big 53-yard grab by Harris and a passing line from Justin Herbert that showed both the yardage production and the turnover trouble that has helped shape the teams rough opening.
For a team that expected to settle in quickly, the frustration is coming from the way the losses are piling up on themselves. Herberts two interceptions mattered, but so did the late fumble by Hampton, another costly mistake that undercut the kind of explosive plays the Chargers need to turn into wins. The talent is there, but after back-to-back setbacks, the most obvious early concern is how often Los Angeles is beating itself. [Read more 🡒]