Jim Harbaugh won't commit to Mike McDaniel calling plays

Harbaugh was asked straight up whether McDaniel would still have the call sheet after the bye. He didn't say yes.

ProFootballTalk

@ProFootballTalk

Jim Harbaugh on Mike McDaniel: We'll look at everything, offense needs to be addressed. t.co/yUh3urqssQ

His full answer, according to ProFootballTalk: "We're going to look at everything. I feel bad for our players, our team, our coaches, our fans. And (the offense) needs to be addressed." Coaches who plan to keep their play-caller usually just say so. Harbaugh left it open, and that came after a day of growing buzz around the league that the Chargers could move on from their first-year coordinator.

ProFootballTalk

@ProFootballTalk

The buzz is building in league circles that the Chargers could be moving on from first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. The facts (no wins, 15.0 points per game) would seem to point in that direction. t.co/UFQBAIqdRP

Sunday is why everybody's asking. The Chargers lost 22-6 at Arrowhead, scored 2 field goals and never got in the end zone, the first game all season they failed to score a touchdown. Justin Herbert went 22-for-37 for 204 yards with no touchdowns. He threw his 8th interception of the season and has thrown at least 1 in every game. The offense finished with 259 total yards, had a turnover on downs at the goal line, and Herbert got sacked twice on the final drive. Ladd McConkey left in the 2nd quarter with a concussion, which only makes things worse.

The season-long numbers are even uglier. Nobody has started like this in a long time, and the list of comparisons Herbert's name keeps landing on is not a good one.

NFL Researcher

@NFL_Researcher

The 2026 Chargers are the first team to start 0-6, average 15-or-fewer PPG, and have 15+ giveaways since the 2009 Titans. QB to start a season 0-6 with 10+ giveaways and 15+ sacks taken over the last 30 years: Justin Herbert (2026) Eli Manning (2013)

Herbert sharing a list with 2013 Eli Manning tells you how far this has fallen. McDaniel was brought in this offseason specifically to get the most out of Herbert after his run as Miami's head coach. Instead it's one of the least productive offenses in the league, and it's the Chargers' first 0-6 start since 2000. If Harbaugh does make a change, pass game specialist Adam Gase, the former Jets and Dolphins head coach, is reportedly expected to take over the offense. Going from McDaniel to Gase as the fix is something Dolphins fans could probably write a thesis on.

The bye gives Harbaugh his only clean window to shake things up, and the schedule coming out of it doesn't help at all.

Albert Breer

@AlbertBreer

The Chiefs are 5-0. The Chargers go into their bye at 0-6. Coming out of it ... • at Rams • vs. Texans • at Ravens

The Rams on the road, then Houston, then Baltimore on the road, while Kansas City sits at 5-0 and already looks gone in the division. If the Chargers are making a move, it happens this week, because 0-9 doesn't leave anyone around to fix it. Keep an eye on who's calling plays at SoFi... well, at the Rams game, since it's an away game. Harbaugh won't say who. That kind of says it.