Are the Chargers actually in danger of regressing?

The Los Angeles Chargers certainly had one heck of a season in Jim Harbaugh's first year at the helm, winning 11 games and making the playoffs.

Let's be honest: the Chargers definitely overachieved, and that was sort of obvious during their embarrassing Wild Card Round playoff loss to a Houston Texans team that was not exactly highly regarded heading into the postseason.

Harbaugh did a phenomenal job squeezing the most out of a roster that was fairly limited in terms of elite talent, particularly on the offensive end.

That begs the question: is Los Angeles actually due for regression next season?

Offensively, the Chargers really have two sure things: Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey. I guess you can throw in tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but we're really just going to focus on the skill position players for now.

J.K. Dobbins and Joshua Palmer are both free agents. Quentin Johnston and Gus Edwards have both been disappointments. Los Angeles obviously needs to upgrade from Will Dissly at tight end.

And since we mentioned Alt and Slater, we also need to consider that the Chargers definitely need help along the interior of their offensive line.

Heck, defensively, key pieces such as Khalil Mack, Kristian Fulton, Asante Samuel Jr. and Elijah Molden are all going to be free agents. Mack is considering retirement, and Joey Bosa is a cut candidate.

Sure, Los Angeles has a ton of cap space, but it may have to spend a decent portion of it re-signing its own guys.

The Chargers are a good team with a lot of holes. They need receivers. They need running backs. They need a tight end. They need offensive linemen. They need younger pieces defensively.

And there is a chance Los Angeles is not really able to significantly upgrade at any of these spots in the coming months given the sheer amount of its own free agents that could walk in March.

The Bolts were largely exposed by the Texans. This is a team that is obviously a work in progress, and while there are some major pieces in place (such as Harbaugh, Herbert and McConkey), it's also abundantly clear that the Chargers are not yet close to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Los Angeles has an entire offseason ahead of it to improve, and general manager Joe Hortiz seems to know what he is doing. But he has to prove himself.

If the Chargers aren't careful, they could actually take a step backward in 2025.

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. — Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) jogs off the field during the game against the Houston Texans in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images