Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has backed offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, despite Los Angeles falling to 0-4 after another day of difficulty with the ball.
The Chargers were beaten 30-23 by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, with McDaniel’s offense struggling once more. Justin Herbert threw two more interceptions – for six on the season – and was sacked four times.
The arrival of ex-Miami Dolphins head coach McDaniel sparked excitement and high expectations ahead of the 2026 season. But just four games into the campaign, Harbaugh is already facing calls to make a change to his staff.
On Sunday, however, the head coach said: ‘No, his job is not in jeopardy… he’s a skilled coach and we’re going to keep growing.’
It was another tough day for Herbert, who has now been sacked 12 times this season – the joint-second most in the NFL. But he and the offense did show some signs of life in the second half and after the game the quarterback also leapt to McDaniel’s defense.
‘I think (McDaniel) is the greatest and I want to make him proud and do everything I can to pick up the offense and do exactly what he asks,’ Herbert said.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has backed offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel
The Chargers were beaten by the Seahawks on Sunday, with the offense struggling once more
‘His job is not in jeopardy,’ Harbaugh said of McDaniel after the game at Lumen Field
‘But I think we’ve just got to go make plays. I’ve got to make plays out there and haven’t done that, but I know we’ll get it next time.’
After heading into halftime down 13-3 with only 92 net yards of offense and two interceptions by Herbert, the Chargers put up 209 total yards and a pair of touchdowns. One came on a nine-yard pass from Herbert to Kimani Vidal with 4:58 left in the third quarter. The other was a two-yard run by Omarion Hampton with 7:52 to go.
Herbert, who completed just five passes for 36 yards in the first half, finished 19 of 31 for 189 yards.
The Chargers had a chance to tie it on the final drive, but Herbert lost a fumble when he was sacked by Uchenna Nwosu at Los Angeles’ 20-yard line to seal the win for the Seahawks. It was one of two lost fumbles by the Chargers.
‘I think there were a lot of good things in the second half,’ Herbert said. ‘I appreciated the battle and the fight from everyone, and being able to string out some of those long drives is really important for us and hopefully that´s something we can build off of.’
The fact remains though, Herbert is off to one of the worst starts of his career. Herbert’s completion percentage (59.7) and passer rating (70.6) are far below his career averages. He threw a pick on the Chargers´ first play from scrimmage on Sunday, then threw another near the end of the second quarter.
