Former Raiders Executive Goes Scorched Earth on Mike McDaniel, Chargers

The Chargers are still struggling to find themselves on offense. A former Raiders CEO did not hold back on the situation. See what former rivals have to say.

Nov 1, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel on the field prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Chargers are having a season to forget in 2026. They are currently 0-8 and after hiring the top offensive coordinator candidate on the market in the offseason, they are still searching for an indentity and for general answers on offense.

Los Angeles, through the first nine weeks of the season, currently rank at or near the bottom in every offensive category and analytical measurement. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has been trying to get the offense going in the right direction and has resorted to changing up where he is calling plays from in hopes of finding the elusive answer.

The move to the booth did not help much as the Chargers continued to struggle to score points against the Houston Texans. The Chargers did face a sudden gameplan change against Houston as their top wide receiver, Ladd McConkey, was hurt during warmups and ruled out of the game before taking a snap. The gameplan curveball is not an excuse for the continued struggles, just a simple note of context for McDaniel's first game in the booth.

Injuries across the offense has been a consistent hindrance for the Chargers. Despite the consistent lineup changes, the bottom line, as many point out, is that quarterback Justin Herbert does not look comfortable is what he is being asked to do in the offense.

Justin Herbert has six seasons of consistency prior to 2026. Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask believes that the Chargers and Mike McDaniel are not putting Herbert in a position to be successful. She did not hold back on her opinion of how the situation is being handled.

“The best coaches don’t take great players and try to push them into a schemes. They build a scheme around the players.”

Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask says the Chargers aren’t putting Justin Herbert in the best position succeed .#hqsocial pic.twitter.com/fJXYCjKc9f

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 13, 2026

Trask added in her observations and said "It strikes me that what they are asking Justin to do, is to fit into a scheme for which he's not best suited." The sentiment that McDaniel is asking Herbert to do things that aren't best suited to him seems to be the most common belief amongst experts, including former NFL executives and even quarterbacks.

Multiple former NFL quarterbacks have publicly stated that it appears that the motions, ball handling and excessive designer plays while lacking the proper personnel has created an environment where Herbert is struggling to see the field, even when it is clean. Brothers and former NFL quarterbacks Derek and David Carr have their own podcast and Herbert has been the subject of their conversations on multiple occasions throughout this season.

The Chargers are still searching for their first win this season. What do you think is holding them back? 🧐⚡️ pic.twitter.com/5cORWGMVr1

— Home Grown with David & Derek Carr (@HomeGrownTweet) November 11, 2026

Derek Carr believes the issue plaguing the Chargers is a combination of the scheme and personnel not aligning. "It doesn't fit Herbert," Derek says.

Another common critcism hitting the Chargers and McDaniel is that it appears that everything is too complex. It appears they are trying to run before they learned to walk. Derek Carr also believes that may be an issue for the Chargers pointing to some of the advanced scheme options being asked of Herbert that are more inline with McDaniel's late time in Miami as opposed to the year one identity establishment and mastery of the basics.

Despite the 0-8 start, Derek and David still have kind words about Mike McDaniel 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Yktj4zKLt4

— Home Grown with David & Derek Carr (@HomeGrownTweet) November 13, 2026

It appears that former rivals from the Raiders in both Derek Carr and Amy Trask see that the Chargers have not been putting Herbert in the best place to succeed. Herbert's performance and stats bear out those results. The biggest question heading forward is has there been irreparable damage done to Justin Herbert? If the Chargers can't figure out how to protect him more effieciently, that question will grow louder.