Time to be honest about Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers

Jim Harbaugh did a phenomenal job in his first season at the helm for the Los Angeles Chargers, guiding them to 11 wins and a playoff appearance.

It's certainly more than most expected, as the Chargers entered the 2024 campaign with seemingly glaring holes but manage to overcome them. Well, for the most part.

Los Angeles' flaws were made very obvious in its blowout loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, and it's actually what most people pointed out heading into the season.

Yes, Harbaugh is a terrific coach, but there is only so much a coach can do when there is a dearth of talent. The same goes for quarterback Justin Herbert, who has been much maligned for his playoff performances, but doesn't really have a whole lot of supporting talent around him.

Going into the offseason, the Chargers need many things. They need a running back. They desperately need wide receivers. They need to patch up their offensive line. Defensively, they have a ton of question marks thanks to some potential—if not likely—departures.

Los Angeles is a good team, but there is no question that the Bolts are a stripped down version of what a Super Bowl contender is supposed to be.

Sure, they have some pieces in place. Herbert is one of the NFL's most talented signal-callers. Ladd McConkey is a stud at wide out. Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater appear to be top-level tackles. But there are so many gaps that the Chargers need to fill, and they may not be able to do it in one offseason.

While Los Angeles is loaded with cap room, let's once again keep in mind that it also needs to spend much of that on either retaining or replacing its own free agents. The Chargers already started doing that by re-upping with defensive back Elijah Molden. Who's next?

It also doesn't help that LA is playing in the same division as the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won nine straight AFC West division titles and have given us little reason to believe that they won't win a 10th next season, their embarrassing Super Bowl loss notwithstanding.

The Chargers are definitely on the right track. There is no doubt about that, and it starts with the head coach-quarterback tandem of Harbaugh and Herbert. But there is much work to be done, and Los Angeles is not even close to gathering all of the pieces.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. — Oct 27, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) following the victory against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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