Los Angeles Chargers — 2026 season outlook, updated Oct 14, 2026.
Los Angeles Chargers finished the 2026 season 0-5.
Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6 regular season.
Based on verified play-by-play data (nflverse).
By the numbers — 2026
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2026 schedule
- Bye week 7 — see all 2026 byes.
- 15th-hardest schedule — opponents average 8.56 projected wins.
- Chargers backfield and handcuffs — depth chart, refreshed daily.
Chargers players we cover
Chargers 17, Broncos 23 — Week 5: Five Sacks, Three Giveaways
Los Angeles lost 23-17 at home to Denver to fall to 0-5 after leading 17-10 early in the fourth quarter; Justin Herbert was sacked five times, twice losing the ball, and a fourth-and-1 stop and Zach Allen's strip-sack in a 17-17 game turned it.
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More episodes
- Camp · Sep 3, 2026
Chargers Camp — Sep 3: Scott Back, Perryman Out Four Games
The punter came back on Monday — JK Scott signed a day after his release, "a roster machination," per Jim Harbaugh — and the corresponding move sent inside linebacker Denzel Perryman to injured reserve for at least four games. Sixteen of Sunday's thirty cuts were back on the practice squad a day later, then the team added a former first-round cornerback, the quarterback's brother and a receiver who knows Mike McDaniel's system, and Harbaugh reopened left guard.
- Camp · Aug 31, 2026
Chargers Camp — Aug 31: Eleven Linemen and No Punter
The Chargers' initial 53 keeps eleven offensive linemen behind rookie starting center Jake Slaughter — and no punter, with JK Scott's release reported as procedural and his return expected but not signed. Junior Colson was waived ten days after his pick-six, beaten out by undrafted Marlowe Wax, while Joe Hortiz traded two bubble undrafted players for future sixth-round picks. Justin Herbert's four-play finale produced a 65-yard touchdown to Quentin Johnston and a "Wow. Double wow." from Jim Harbaugh.
- Camp · Aug 23, 2026
Chargers Camp — Aug 23: Slaughter Is the Starting Center Now
Jim Harbaugh named second-round rookie Jake Slaughter his starting center on Saturday, four days after Tyler Biadasz tore up his left knee in a joint practice with the 49ers. In between came a 41-17 preseason loss in which Justin Herbert played three snaps and Junior Colson took an interception back for his first professional touchdown — and Rashawn Slater got back on the practice field, carefully.
- Camp · Aug 16, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers Camp Update — August 16: The Backups Hung 27, Slater's Knee Cost a Week
McDaniel's offense scored 27 and gained close to 400 yards in Houston without a single starter playing, which is circumstantial evidence the scheme travels. The problem is the watch item we named: Rashawn Slater's surgically repaired knee flared up and has now cost him a week of practice with no timetable, and the tackles were always the load-bearing assumption.
- Camp · Aug 9, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers Camp Update — August 9: Herbert's Ball Out in 2.4 Seconds
The environment bet is running exactly as designed: a hard number on time-to-throw, footwork rebuilt over a summer of throwing to his brother, and Herbert admitting he was "nervous" releasing the ball that early — which is precisely the retraining working. Khalil Mack is back, too.
- 2026 Preview
Los Angeles Chargers 2026 Season Preview — a Better Team, and Maybe a Worse Record
The 11-6 was built on everything that doesn't repeat — and the offseason fixed everything that does. Both regression and improvement are true at once.
- Season Review
Chargers 2025 Season in Review
11-6 regular season
- Draft Recap
8 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Week 4
Chargers 23, Seahawks 30 — Week 4: Two More Picks, Now Oh and Four
Los Angeles lost 30-23 at Seattle to fall to 0-4. The run game gained 147 yards, its best day of the season by expected points per play, but Justin Herbert threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and lost a fumble with 1:03 left, down seven.
- Week 3
Chargers 16, Bills 24 — Week 3: Forced Five Turnovers and Lost
Los Angeles lost 24-16 at Buffalo after forcing five turnovers and turning them into 10 points, with 15 snaps inside the Buffalo 20 producing one touchdown, and a third-and-five interception thrown from the Buffalo 23 while up 13-10 in the fourth quarter.
- Week 2
Chargers 14, Raiders 26 — Week 2: A Free First Down, Then a Fumble
The Chargers lost 26-14 at home to Las Vegas on Sunday to fall to 0-2, turning the ball over three times, including an Omarion Hampton fumble returned 43 yards one snap after a penalty gave them a first down, in a game where their run defense held the Raiders to 60 yards.
- Week 1
Chargers 14, Cardinals 26 — Week 1: Fourth and Three From the Three
The Chargers lost their opener at home to Arizona twenty-six to fourteen and never led. Down ten to seven late in the first half, the offense had first and goal at the seven and went backwards to a sack on fourth and three. After halftime the passing game produced minus ten expected points on twenty pass plays, and the team went oh for three on fourth down and never attempted a field goal.
- Week 3 · What Repeats
Chargers, Week 3 — What Repeats: Heavier Box, Better Run Game
Buffalo showed a light box on 9 of 26 Chargers designed runs, 35 percent after 69 and 65 the first two weeks, and the run game answered with 4.7 yards per designed run, 10th in the league, while Justin Herbert's 5 interception-worthy throws in 34 were the highest rate of any offense in Week 3.
- Week 2 · What Repeats
Chargers, Week 2 — What Repeats: Motion Stays, the Fake Fades
Justin Herbert's play-action throws went 6 for 100 yards in Week 1 and 3 of 6 for 25 against the Raiders, while the motion held (65 percent of charted plays, third in the league, after 67 and second) and a second straight opponent showed a light box on most designed runs.
- Week 1 · What Repeats
Chargers, Week 1 — What Repeats: Six of Seven Off Play-Action
Justin Herbert's 7 play-action throws against Arizona went 6 for 100 yards; his other 20 went 11 for 109. The Chargers called play-action on 31 percent of dropbacks (8th in Week 1) and motion on 67 percent of charted plays (2nd), Arizona contested 7 of his 27 throws, and the run game gained 52 yards on 16 designed runs despite a light box on 11 of them.
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From The Muffed Read
- Which first-month signals are real? San Francisco's offense, Atlanta's run game, Minnesota's blitz, the five 0-4 teams and Jaxon Smith-Njigba's targets, run through a ruler built for four games.
Four games in, how a team plays repeats far better than how well it plays: blitz rate, run-pass lean and target share all carry into the rest of the season at 0.51 or better, defensive results at 0.29 and touchdowns at 0.19. And no 0-4 team in ten seasons has reached the playoffs; this season has five.
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