The Los Angeles Chargers are still early in their preseason work, but Jim Harbaugh already sounds sold on what Mike McDaniel is bringing to the building.
With Week 2 of the NFL preseason set for Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chargers are planning to get Justin Herbert and the starters some snaps as they try to sharpen the offense under their new coordinator. Harbaugh recently appeared on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show and offered a quick read on how McDaniel has settled in.
“I love Mike McDaniel and the energy he brings.. He will do anything and everything for the team.. There's football nuggets every single day,” said Harbaugh, per Pat McAfee on X, formerly Twitter.
That kind of praise fits McDaniel’s reputation. He has been widely credited with bringing sharp offensive ideas to the table, and his work helped power some explosive units over the years, including the Miami Dolphins’ record-setting stretch early in the 2023 season while he was head coach there.
McDaniel left Miami earlier this offseason and moved into the offensive coordinator job with the Chargers. His task now is clear: help build a new-look attack around Herbert, a quarterback who has the talent to be among the league’s best but has still fallen short in the biggest moments of his career.
Harbaugh’s Chargers have reached the playoffs in both of his first two seasons, and the addition of McDaniel gives the team another piece as it tries to push further in a crowded AFC. The regular season begins on September 13, when the Chargers host the Arizona Cardinals.
In Other News...
Chargers Leave Ugly Loss With Two Bigger Problems Than The Score
The Chargers preseason loss to the 49ers was messy enough on the scoreboard, but the bigger concern came from everything around it. Penalties, missed assignments and an offense that never found much rhythm made it a rough night for a team still trying to set its tone under Jim Harbaugh, and the coach did not hide from the fact that the details were not good enough.
Tyler Biadaszs left ACL injury only adds to the unease, because the center spot now has to be reworked on the fly. Rookie Jake Slaughter is expected to slide into the starting job, while Harbaugh also has an unsettled backup quarterback battle still hanging over the roster, leaving the Chargers with more to sort out than a lopsided preseason score. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Roster Battle Took A Harsh Turn In Preseason Loss
The preseason trip against the 49ers was less about the final score than the Chargers ongoing roster audit, and several players made cases for themselves in live action. Junior Colson stood out on defense with an interception and multiple tackles, Devin Grant also came away with a pick, and Gregory Desrosiers led the running backs in rushing yards, all of it the kind of production that can matter when coaches start narrowing down jobs.
Not every audition went smoothly, though, and Devonte Ross had a rough moment when a muffed punt undercut his chance to build momentum. In a game designed to sort out the back end of the roster, those kinds of mistakes can linger just as long as the highlights, which is why the Chargers will likely spend as much time studying the errors as the takeaways from a night that brought clarity to some spots and more pressure to others. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Leave Chargers Game With A Bigger Concern Than The Score
A preseason game can fade quickly once the result is in the books, and Sundays matchup in Los Angeles felt like one of those nights for the 49ers. They left with a win over the Chargers, but the bigger concern was the list of players who were banged up along the way, including offensive lineman Austen Pleasants, cornerback Renardo Green and linebacker Nick Martin, all of whom exited with injuries.
Kyle Shanahan said Pleasants knee injury is not an ACL tear, while Green and Martin are still waiting on more imaging after hamstring issues. Left guard Robert Jones is also dealing with an unspecified injury that could affect his availability for the next game, giving San Francisco plenty to monitor even as the preseason calendar keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]