Jim Harbaugh's Hot Seat, Joe Alt's Flop and Chargers' Biggest Storylines After Raiders Loss

Going into the 2026 season, expectations were through the roof for the Los Angeles Chargers. Whether it was Year 3 under Jim Harbaugh or the hiring of Mike McDaniel, the team was expected to be a real Super Bowl contender.

After two weeks in the NFL season, the Chargers have fallen to 0-2, losing to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, two teams that were expected to pick within the top 10 of the 2027 NFL Draft.

After another atrocious loss, what are the current storylines for the Bolts?

Jim Harbaugh's Job Security is Seriously on the Line

Jim Harbaugh was one of the biggest gets for the Chargers franchise back in 2024 when he was hired. He was viewed as a coach that has won at all stops in his NFL and college coaching career, giving the Chargers a stability they have not had since the early 2000s.

Harbaugh showed his talents in his first two seasons with the team, but both years ended with a brutal wild-card exit in the playoffs. Year 3 now has Harbaugh completely going off the rails, losing to teams that he has always beaten in his coaching career.

The team is undisciplined and sloppy. That is what Harbaugh is supposed to be good at, considering he is not calling plays on any side of the football. If this collapse continues, could the Spanos family eat the large coaching contract they paid for and fire Harbaugh?

Will Joe Alt get it Together in Mike McDaniel's Offense?

Joe Alt has been one of the best players on the field since his arrival in 2024 as a top-five draft selection. Year three for Alt was expected to be his true breakout, going back to the right side of the offensive line and being healthy to start the season.

While Alt has been pretty solid in both pass and run blocking, he is committing a tragic number of penalties in this McDaniel offense, consistently putting this team behind in down and distance. Alt needs to really hone in on the playbook and timing of the offense to help this team stop stuttering in the moments that matter most.

Will The Defense Gel...At All This Season?

Chris O'Leary is the Chargers' defensive coordinator this season. This is his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator and second season in his entire career as a coordinator. There is some expectation that the team needs time before being able to fully embrace his coaching and become the elite unit they were under Jesse Minter.

However, there have been far too many mistakes on this defense, with constant miscommunications being attacked by veteran QBs. Not even elite veterans; low-end starters like Jacoby Brissett and Kirk Cousins. The Chargers have gotten quite lucky as well, with many missed passes giving the team extra opportunities. Yet, this team is still surrendering multi-possession losses to what will likely be anemic offenses by the end of the NFL season.

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