Running back Najee Harris suffered a superficial eye injury during a July 4 fireworks accident in his Bay Area hometown of Antioch, but the Chargers’ season didn’t end there despite the absence throughout training camp of one of their prized offseason free agent signings. Left tackle Rashawn Sla ter tore his left patella tendon during a routine training camp blocking drill Aug. 7, but the Chargers’ season didn’t end there, either, despite losing their most decorated offensive lineman for the rest of the season, throwing the protection of Justin Herbert into chaos. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack dislocated his left elbow while attempting to make a tackle in a “Monday Night Football” game Sept. 16 against the Raiders in Las Vegas, but the Chargers’ season didn’t end there despite missing a likely future Hall of Famer for four key, early-season games. Herbert fractured his left, non-throwing hand during the first half of a Nov. 30 game against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium, undergoing surgery the next day and wearing a bulky, protective device for the rest of the season, but the Chargers’ season didn’t end there, either. Any one of the four injuries, plus several others, could have derailed the Chargers’ 2025 season, but the fact that it didn’t said something about Jim Harbaugh’s second season as their coach. The Chargers went on to their second consecutive 11-win season and their second straight playoff appearance. So, despite their obvious limitations, plenty went right for the Chargers. On the other hand, because of their obvious limitations, plenty went wrong. The ‘25 season should be considered a success, especially in light of injuries to Harris (who later sustained a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in Week 3 and is a pending free agent after gaining 61 yards on 15 carries as a Charger), plus Slater, Mack and Herbert, but it also should be considered a failure. Expectations were high for the Chargers in Harbaugh’s second season, but neither the players nor the coaching staff nor anyone else in the organization fully met them in the 2025 season. An 11-win season was all well and good, but three straight late-season defeats prompted changes. Swift ones. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman was fired two days after a 16-3 wild-card loss Jan. 11 to the New England Patriots, whose lackluster offense was exposed in Sunday’s 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was hired to replace Roman. McDaniel will be Herbert’s fifth offensive coordinator in seven seasons. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter departed after two seasons to become the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach, a move that was anticipated and prepared for well in advance, or so it seemed. General manager Joe Hortiz replaced Minter with Chris O’Leary, a former Chargers safeties coach, a Minter disciple. Further changes are expected for the Chargers’ coaching staff, an annual rite of passage during winters around the NFL as firing and hiring season dominates the earliest days and weeks of the postseason. It’s already underway at Chargers’ headquarters. Marcus Brady, the Chargers’ passing game coordinator, is set to join Minter’s staff in Baltimore in the same position. NaVorro Bowman, their linebackers coach, has left his job to help guide his son, a top basketball player in Southern California, through the college recruiting process. Plus, ex-New York Jets head coach Adam Gase could join Harbaugh’s staff as an offensive assistant coach, according to recent reports. Harbaugh said last month the Chargers needed a “fresh start” and a “new direction” after the season ended with a whimper on a chilly night outside of Boston, the third consecutive one-and-done for Herbert in his career. It’s possible to blame the loss to the Patriots on Herbert’s injury, and it was no doubt a factor. But so was his poor decision-making, a troubling development that led to 13 interceptions, the second-most in his six otherwise stellar seasons. And so was the lack of protection from his offensive line, largely because of injuries to Slater and then to right tackle Joe Alt in Weeks 4 and 9. Herbert passed for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns in 16 games, sitting out the regular-season finale to rest his damaged hand. It was the second-fewest yards he’d thrown for after totaling 3,134 during an injury shortened 2023, when he sat out the final four games because of a fractured right index finger. Opponents sacked Herbert a career-high 54 times in ‘25, 13 more than in ‘24. Herbert’s toughness, his unwillingness to let a potentially debilitating injury stop him, stood out over the final six weeks of the 2025 season. But it was his uncertainty and ineffectiveness in the playoffs, and especially against New England, that threatens to define him so far in his career. After all, in addition to his 0-3 playoff record, Herbert has completed only 54.2% of his passes (compared to 66.5% for his career in the regular season) and averaged 224.7 yards per postseason game (compared to 261.3 during 95 career regular-season games). “I don’t know, I haven’t figured it out yet,” a downcast Herbert said when asked about his lack of playoff success after completing only 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards without a touchdown or an interception against the Patriots. “Hasn’t happened, so we’ll have to re-evaluate and see what happens.” Roman paid the price for the Chargers’ offensive inefficiency and ineffectiveness against New England, a glaring weakness compared to Minter’s sound defense against the Patriots. In fact, it was a development that began over the final two regular-season games, losses to the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. The Chargers lost to the Texans, 20-16, and to the Broncos, 19-3 (with backup Trey Lance at quarterback and a lineup largely made up of second-stringers). Whatever mojo they developed during a four-game winning streak that cemented their playoff status, they lost it in the final weeks. They looked stale, predictable and easier to defend down the stretch. The hiring of McDaniel last month was meant to enliven their play-calling, making it more dynamic and giving Herbert more options. McDaniel follows Roman (2024-25), Kellen Moore (2023), Joe Lombardi (2021-22) and Shane Steichen (2020) as Herbert’s offensive coordinators. McDaniel maintained that Herbert hadn’t “neared the ceiling” of his ability during his first six years, which included a franchise-record 5,014 passing yards during the ‘21 season, adding at his introductory news conference, “We’re both geeked for the future and the possibilities.” Related Articles Chargers DC Chris O’Leary calls homecoming ‘a no-brainer’ The Audible: What’s next for the Rams and Chargers? Chargers hire Chris O’Leary as their new defensive coordinator Chargers OC Mike McDaniel seeks to unlock Justin Herbert’s full potential Chargers officially hire Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator ...read more read less