The Los Angeles Chargers have had a rough start to the 2026 NFL season, and the schedule shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. With a pair of divisional matchups on the horizon, the Chargers could be winless coming into the bye week. They have officially entered the toughest part of the season and are floundering.
A lot of finger-pointing happens during the four weeks. The media blamed offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel for not calling a functional offense. Others are looking to head coach Jim Harbaugh or quarterback Justin Herbert for not doing their respective jobs better than they have to this point in the season.
While nothing has changed yet, the Chargers need to not overreact to the slow start. One thing is clear for fans watching the games: Los Angeles doesn’t have a real top option in the passing attack. Here’s how the Chargers should address the position.
How to find the missing piece at wide receiver in LA
While Ladd McConkey has been dealing with injuries early this season, it’s pretty clear he won’t develop into the top option the Los Angeles Chargers hoped for after a great rookie campaign, in which he set rookie receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,149) records. This was proven by two moves from the front office. The first is that the Chargers brought back a relic of the past, Keenan Allen, in 2025, to pair alongside McConkey. The damning part is that Allen outscored the then second-year player in every volume category.
Last year, Allen had 16 more targets and 15 more catches than McConkey. Essentially, McConkey was relegated to the second option at wide receiver after breaking the all-time rookie record for the franchise. Three years on, the spark still hasn’t returned, despite being the top option for Herbert.
The second measure looks at what the Chargers’ front office has consistently been doing for the team. Each year from the 2023 campaign through 2025, Los Angeles selected at least one pair of wide receivers during the NFL Draft. Any guesses as to what year the Chargers will select a trio of pass catchers?
If you said McConkey’s 2024 class, you’d be right. This, once again, symbolizes that the team did not, and still does not, trust the former second-round draft selection to be the top option in the passing attack. Ironically, the Chargers are looking in the right place to fix that issue.
The team doesn’t need to overreact to a poor start to the season and trade for Marvin Harrison, who is expected to move on soon. Los Angeles doesn’t need to overreact at all. They need to stay the course.
Every year since 2023, the Chargers have taken at least one wide receiver in the draft. If they continue at the rate they are going, Los Angeles will have a fantastic draft pick. That would put them in position to land one of, if not the best, pass-catching prospects to enter the league in years.
Of course, it was Jeremiah Smith. The Ohio State University wide receiver broke, or was close to breaking, most school records this year before leaving to become a professional football player. The Chargers could take Smith during the draft and finally identify its top wide receiver.
McConkey is still a great receiver and will be a tremendous complement to Smith as a secondary option for the Chargers. However, it all depends on Los Angeles not overreacting to the bad start to the season and staying the course where the team is. If the Chargers can do that, this setup in the pass-catching room could become a reality in the 2027 NFL Draft.
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