Jim Harbaugh worked some serious magic to get the Chargers into the playoffs after an 11-victory regular season in his first year as their coach. Can he work some more to vault them past the Kansas City Chiefs and to their first AFC West championship since the 2009 season?
Or more to the point, can Harbaugh keep the Chargers in playoff contention in his second season on the job? He guided the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl after the 2012 season, his second year as their coach. Doing the same with the Chargers would seem to be a tall order, though.
Here are five additional questions, with the answers to come, for the 2025 Chargers:
Can the Chargers put the past in the past at long last?
It seems like this question gets asked almost every time a new season begins, and almost every time at the end of every season the answer seems to be a resounding no. That was clearly the case after the Chargers’ humiliating 32-12 loss to the Houston Texans in an AFC wild-card game Jan. 11. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, starting and ending with quarterback Justin Herbert throwing a career-high four interceptions. Herbert is 0-2 in playoff games in his career, so perhaps the better question is whether he can put his past in the past and lead the Chargers to a deeper playoff run this coming season. Herbert has thrown for more than 21,000 yards plus 137 touchdowns in 79 games over five seasons in the NFL, but meaningful play in meaningful games has been hard to come by.
Did GM Joe Hortiz add enough offensive playmakers?
No question, Hortiz did what he could to surround Herbert with more options and more protection with his offseason moves. Was it enough to sign Najee Harris and draft running back Omarion Hampton to improve the running back corps and sign Keenan Allen and draft Tre’ Harris, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Oronde Gadsden to improve the pass-catching depth? Time will tell, of course. Hortiz also signed mammoth right guard Mekhi Becton to bolster the interior of the offensive line.
How much will the Chargers miss Rashawn Slater?
Slater, considered by some to be among the NFL’s top left tackles, signed a four-year, $114-million contract extension but then sustained a season-ending knee injury during a drill in practice only days later. It forced the Chargers to flip Joe Alt from right tackle to left to replace Slater and insert Trey Pipkins III at right tackle from a backup’s position. Jamaree Salyer and Andre James are set to become the top depth linemen. The bottom line is the Chargers’ O-line depth will be tested.
Will the Chargers finally establish a strong ground game?
Melvin Gordon was the last Chargers running back to gain 1,000 yards or more in a single season when he rushed for 1,105 during the 2017 season. J.K. Dobbins gained a career-high 905 yards last season, but the Chargers believed they could do better. So, Hortiz signed Harris, who gained 1,000 yards or more in each of his four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and drafted Hampton, who gained 1,500 yards or more in his final two seasons at the University of North Carolina. Harris then missed all of training camp after he injured his eye in a fireworks accident July 4. It remains to be determined whether he’ll be sound enough to play Friday in the season opener.
Can the Chargers’ defense continue its stingy ways?
The Chargers led the NFL by giving up an average of only 17.7 points during the 2024 season. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said last month he wasn’t concerned about repeating or topping that figure in 2025. What he wanted most of all was to see the Chargers play at the same high level as last season. He said it was all about meeting or exceeding standards rather than raw statistics.
Originally Published:
