The Chargers are headed into 2026 with plenty to like on paper, but also plenty riding on a few key names. After an 11-6 season that ended with a lopsided Wild Card loss to the New England Patriots, Jim Harbaugh’s team is trying to flip the script. And for that to happen, three players in particular are carrying serious pressure into next season.
Justin Herbert sits at the top of the list, and that should surprise nobody. The Chargers’ ceiling is tied directly to what their quarterback can deliver.
Herbert gave Los Angeles everything he had in 2025, even while the offense was battling constant problems up front. Injuries ravaged the offensive line for much of the year, and Herbert also dealt with a broken hand roughly halfway through the season.
Even so, he finished with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 66.4 percent completion rate, while adding 498 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
The encouraging part for Herbert is that help should be coming. The Chargers are expected to be healthier next season, especially along the offensive line, and that alone should make a major difference.
He’ll also be working with a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, who is expected to bring a more balanced attack through the air and on the ground. Still, the burden doesn’t change much for Herbert: if Los Angeles is healthy and still comes up short again in the playoffs, the questions around his ability to lead this team to postseason success are only going to get louder.
Tuli Tuipulotu is next, and his pressure is built on something different. This isn’t about whether he can play.
He already proved that in 2025. The real question is whether he can do it again.
The edge rusher is entering the final year of his rookie contract after his best season yet, one in which he posted 49 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
That kind of production makes him a real asset, but one strong year is not the same as sustained impact. Tuipulotu has shown he can be disruptive, and now he has to show he can keep that level of play going.
If he does, he’ll put himself in line for a lucrative extension. If the production dips, the conversation next offseason changes fast.
Then there’s Quentin Johnston, whose situation is a little different but just as important. The Chargers already picked up his fifth-year option earlier this offseason, so he has more time on the clock than Tuipulotu. But Johnston still needs a defining season, and 2025 gave him his best one so far: 51 catches, 735 yards, eight touchdowns, and 27 receiving first downs.
The missing piece is still the same one that keeps hanging over him - he has not posted a 1,000-yard season yet. McDaniel’s offense could give him the chance to finally clear that threshold in 2026, and if he does, that could push the Chargers toward a long-term extension. If he doesn’t, then 2027 becomes the critical year for his future in Los Angeles.
In Other News...
Chargers O-Line Scare Vs 49ers Could Change Their Week 1 Plans
A joint practice with the 49ers brought an immediate concern for the Chargers' offensive line when center Tyler Biadasz had to leave the field after taking an awkward hit to the knee. The injury interruption was the sort of camp moment teams hope to avoid, especially for a group that needs continuity up front before the season starts.
The next snap at center became an important subplot, with rookie Jake Slaughter moving into the spot after Biadasz departed. For Los Angeles, the bigger issue now is how this affects the line's depth and the team's lineup choices heading toward Week 1, since a test like this can quickly reshape the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]
Keenan Allen Just Opened A Tough New Chapter For Chargers Fans
Keenan Allen is moving on again, and for Chargers fans it lands like another familiar name leaving the picture. The veteran receiver has agreed to join the Indianapolis Colts, a move that gives him a new home after a long run in Los Angeles and gives Indy a proven option as it tries to rebuild its receiver room after trading Michael Pittman Jr. and absorbing injuries elsewhere.
The fit in Indianapolis is obvious on paper, especially with Shane Steichen now running the Colts and reconnecting with a player he already knows well from his time coaching in Los Angeles. For the Chargers, though, the ripple effect is more emotional than tactical, because Allen has been one of the most recognizable pieces of the franchise for years and his exit closes another chapter in a roster that has already changed plenty. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Injury Concerns Just Got Worse At The Worst Time
Joint practices are supposed to sharpen a team before the regular season, but the Chargers left the field with a much more uneasy feeling after their work with the San Francisco 49ers. Quentin Johnston, starting center Tyler Biadasz and linebacker Kyle Kennard all came away hurt, turning a routine August session into another reminder of how quickly depth concerns can pile up.
Johnstons issue appears to be minor, which at least offers a little relief for a receiving group trying to build rhythm. The bigger concern was Biadasz, who went down with a left leg injury and had to be carted off, while Kennards status remains unclear as the Chargers wait for more information on how serious the latest setbacks might be. [Read more 🡒]