Los Angeles Chargers Offseason Progress Report

Will the Chargers build on Year One of the Harbaugh era, or will stagnation hold them back?

Chargers Receiver Ladd McConkey

Overview

2024 Record: 11-6

General Manager: Joe Hortiz

Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh

Starting Quarterback: Justin Herbert

Key Extensions:

OT Rashawn Slater (4 years, $114 million, $92 million guaranteed)

Key Additions:

WR Keenan Allen, iOL Andre James, iOL Mekhi Becton, CB Donte Jackson, RB Najee Harris, TE Tyler Conklin, RB Omarion Hampton, WR Tre Harris, DL Jamaree Caldwell

Key Departures:

EDGE Joey Bosa, CB Kristian Fulton, DL Poona Ford

Offense

Offensive Coordinator: Greg Roman

2024 Ranks:

EPA/play: 13th Success Rate: 21st PPG: 11th (23.6ppg)

Projected Starting Offense (11 personnel):

QB Justin Herbert

RB Omarion Hampton

WR Ladd McConkey

WR Quentin Johnston

WR Tre Harris

TE Will Dissly

LT Joe Alt

LG Zion Johnson

C Bradley Bozeman

RG Mekhi Becton

RT Trey Pipkins III

Offense Notes:

Any offense with Greg Roman as its play-caller will likely be a run-heavy unit. To this point, the Chargers were only 28th in pass attempts in 2024, despite having invested in the pass game in recent years. For the most part, this worked for the Chargers, with only a few low-scoring affairs in the in-season lulls and the rough playoff game that ended the season.

2025 might bring the evolution of the Roman offense. Heavy investment into the running back position should make that group more dynamic, something the Chargers lacked last year. If the offense can evolve to utilizing Herbert more on play action, building off of the run game, this could be a unit that catapults the team into AFC West contention.

Defense

Defensive Coordinator: Jesse Minter

2024 Ranks:

EPA/play: 6th Success Rate: 6th PPG: 1st (17.7ppg allowed)

Projected Starting Defense (Base 3-4):

DE Da’Shawn Hand

DT Teair Tart

DE Otito Ogbonnia

OLB Tuli Tuipulotu

OLB Khalil Mack

LB Daiyan Henley

LB Junior Colson

CB Donte Jackson

CB Cam Hart

S Derwin James

S Alohi Gilman

Defense Notes:

The first year of Jesse Minter as defensive coordinator went as well as the Chargers could’ve hoped for. Good production from the incumbent veterans, finding contributions from late-round rookies and young players, and mostly locking teams down in-season. The only real blemishes the defense provided were games that featured multiple turnovers from the offense.

Ideally, the unit takes a step in Year 2 with a new coordinator, but this may be difficult with the loss of a handful of veteran starters. If Minter and his staff can get production out of late-round picks again, this might not be as big an issue, but it is certainly worth paying attention to this season.

Outlook

Overall, the Chargers are poised to make a jump. Following the bad taste left from the rough playoff loss, the Chargers have helped to insulate Herbert and bring young reinforcements to the defense. Hopefully, this can be enough to deal with a Wild Card matchup, but this team’s ambitions should be higher.

It can’t be overstated that this group went from a Top 5 draft selection to a playoff team in Jim Harbaugh’s first campaign with this team. Obviously, it might be inaccurate to expect a similar jump in his second season, but this team has improved, at least on paper. What should we expect from this group in 2025?

To me, the time is finally right for a non-Chiefs team to take the AFC West crown. If this Chargers group can hone in on some of the mistakes on offense (which were few and far between already), and maintain a strong defense, why can’t they win the division? That should be the aspiration for the Chargers this year, and it isn’t unrealistic to expect the Bolts to represent the AFC West in the playoffs.

Expectation/Goal for 2025: Compete for AFC West, Wild Card

2025 Schedule

\(\begin{array}{c c} \textbf{GameWeek} & \textbf{Opponent} \\ \hline \textbf{Week 1} & \textbf{vs. Kansas City, FNF, 8pm*} \\ \textbf{Week 2} & \textbf{@ Las Vegas, MNF, 10pm} \\ \text{Week 3} & \text{vs. Denver, 4:05pm} \\ \text{Week 4} & \text{@ New York Giants, 1pm} \\ \text{Week 5} & \text{vs. Washington, 4:25pm} \\ \text{Week 6} & \text{@ Miami, 1pm} \\ \text{Week 7} & \text{vs. Indianapolis, 4:05pm} \\ \textbf{Week 8} & \textbf{vs. Minnesota, SNF, 8:20pm} \\ \text{Week 9} & \text{@ Tennessee, 1pm} \\ \textbf{Week 10} & \textbf{vs. Pittsburgh, SNF, 8:20pm} \\ \text{Week 11} & \text{@ Jacksonville, 1pm} \\ \text{Week 12} & \text{-- BYE WEEK --} \\ \text{Week 13} & \text{Las Vegas, 4:25pm} \\ \textbf{Week 14} & \textbf{vs. Philadelphia, MNF, 8:15pm} \\ \text{Week 15} & \text{@ Kansas City, 1pm} \\ \text{Week 16} & \text{@ Dallas, 1pm} \\ \text{Week 17} & \text{vs. Houston, TBD} \\ \text{Week 18} & \text{@ Denver, TBD} \\ \end{array} \)

Primetime games are BOLDED, all times EDT/EST

*Week 1 game vs. Chiefs is on Friday night in Brazil*