Mike McDaniel knew the heat would come. After the Los Angeles Chargers stumbled to an 0-4 start, the first-year offensive coordinator isn’t acting shocked that the criticism has started to pile up.
The Chargers were supposed to use McDaniel’s arrival in January to give Justin Herbert a fresh jolt, but four games into 2026, the results have gone the other way. Sunday’s 30-23 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks pushed the Chargers deeper into the hole, with earlier defeats to the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills leaving them winless and outscored 106-67.
“I think it’s probably zero percent entitlement,” McDaniel told reporters. “I know in this league, particularly in the first block, you’re gonna be held accountable. When you have high expectations and you’re getting the results we’re getting, that’s pretty standard operating procedure as I’ve seen in the National Football League in my experience.”
The frustration around the offense is easy to understand. Herbert has already thrown six interceptions and taken 12 sacks, both tied for second-most in the NFL. Against Seattle, the Chargers managed only 92 total yards in the first half, and Herbert finished that opening stretch 5-of-14 for 36 yards with two interceptions.
The injury situation has only made things tougher. Center Tyler Biadasz was lost for the season before Week 1, and several pass catchers have also been dealing with injuries.
McDaniel came to Los Angeles in January, just weeks after the Miami Dolphins moved on from him after four seasons as head coach. The Chargers had gone 11-6 in each of Jim Harbaugh’s first two years, and the idea was that McDaniel’s scheme and Herbert’s arm would give the offense a real upgrade.
#Chargers OC Mike McDaniel on his job security being a topic after 4 games:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 8, 2026
“I would be foolish or I’d feel entitled if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment that comes with the territory of the job. ... I don’t expect to get praised through failure.”
Full answer: pic.twitter.com/AC8TLZaeUl
Harbaugh has already made clear that a coaching switch is not on the table, saying McDaniel’s job “is not in jeopardy.” McDaniel, though, said the answer has to come from what the Chargers do next on the field.
“Everybody that is paying attention, every fan, everybody wants the Chargers to do better,” McDaniel said. “I would be foolish or I’d feel entitled if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment that comes with the territory of the job.”
And if the narrative around him is going to change, he knows it won’t happen through words.
“If you want things to change and you want narratives to change, you have to change them through action, collectively,” McDaniel said. “If our results are better, that’s the only thing that matters. I don’t expect to get praised through failure.”
The Chargers will try to end the skid against the Denver Broncos in Week 5.
In Other News...
Chargers Fans Have Every Reason To Watch Omarion Hampton This Week
Omarion Hamptons recent dip in playing time has been easy to notice over the last two weeks, but the Chargers have not treated it like a warning sign. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel made it clear the team still believes in the rookie back and still sees him as part of the offense moving forward, even if the snap count has looked different lately.
For Chargers fans, that matters because the reduced workload is being framed as usage, not a move down the pecking order. McDaniel also suggested he felt he was not fully taking advantage of a strength in the offense, which leaves Hampton in a familiar spot for now: still in the picture, still valued, and still worth watching closely as the Chargers sort out how to use him best. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Face Their Season's Biggest Opening Yet Against Denver
The Chargers have reached an early-season crossroads after opening 0-4, and the pressure around Mike McDaniels offense has only grown as the points have not followed. There was at least a little more life in the recent loss to Seattle, which gave Los Angeles something to build on even if the result did not change the record or quiet the larger concerns.
Now comes a Week 5 meeting with Denver that feels like the kind of game a team in this spot has to find a way to take. It is the first real chance for the Chargers to turn improvement into something more meaningful, and with both sides dealing with injury issues, the matchup carries far more weight than an ordinary early-season divisional game. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Decision Fans Dread
A winless start has pushed the Chargers into a conversation no team wants to have by early season: whether they become sellers before the NFL trade deadline. Around the league, the uncertainty has only grown as rival evaluators try to read how the organization will respond if the season keeps sliding, with management and the coaching staff already under clear pressure.
Some around the NFL still see a team that may resist moving pieces because of its loyalty to players and the people in the room. Others think the results will eventually force a harder pivot, and that makes the next stretch feel especially important for a Chargers club trying to steady itself before the deadline chatter turns into real decisions. [Read more 🡒]