The Los Angeles Chargers are at least giving Mike McDaniel a little more runway.
After Sunday’s 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs dropped the team to 0-6, the noise around McDaniel’s future only got louder. But when he was spotted at Chargers practice on Tuesday, it strongly suggested the organization is not ready to make a change at offensive coordinator just yet.
That doesn’t mean the situation is settled. It does mean the bye week, which looked like a natural opening for a coaching shake-up, is instead being used to keep McDaniel in place while the Chargers try to sort out one of the league’s least productive offenses.
The timing makes the decision notable. If Jim Harbaugh believed the offense needed a new voice right away, this would have been the obvious window to act. Instead, McDaniel remains with the group as the Chargers search for answers after six straight losses and a string of stalled drives.
The Chiefs game felt like a turning point because of how flat the offense was. Los Angeles failed to reach the end zone for the first time this season and came away with just six points. That showing only sharpened the questions about whether McDaniel would make it through the bye week.
Harbaugh didn’t exactly quiet the chatter afterward. When asked about his offensive coordinator, he said the team would look at everything and made it clear that nothing could be ruled out with the Chargers sitting at 0-6. Those comments naturally sent the speculation in overdrive.
Still, the latest sign points toward patience. McDaniel was brought in over the offseason to modernize the offense and help Justin Herbert get back to elite form. Firing him after only six games would mean another reset for Herbert, who has already worked through multiple offensive coordinators in his career.
At the same time, there’s only so much patience a winless team can afford. Herbert is going through the worst stretch of his career, turnovers have piled up, and the offense has never found a steady rhythm. The talent is there, but the production hasn’t followed.
Harbaugh has already said the staff is reviewing everything on offense, including how much information players are being asked to handle. That evaluation could lead to a simpler approach during the bye week, with an emphasis on cleaner communication, fewer mistakes and better positions for Herbert to succeed.
That matters in a hurry. Pre-snap penalties, turnovers and plain old lack of execution have been constant problems. If McDaniel is going to keep this job, the offense has to look different fast.
For now, though, the Chargers seem content to keep him around and see whether the bye week can help stabilize things. McDaniel’s presence at practice doesn’t lock in his status for the rest of the season, but it does show the organization is not rushing to pull the plug.
The question now is whether that patience pays off. The Chargers are 0-6, and there is no more margin for another dead-end offensive showing. If McDaniel is staying on, the turnaround has to start immediately.
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Justin Herbert still sits at the center of everything the Chargers hope to build, but his recent decision-making has only added to the pressure around the offense. With the play-calling under scrutiny and the unit still searching for rhythm, Harbaugh has to decide whether the answer is more patience or a change that could alter the direction of the season. [Read more 🡒]