Recently, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports added his name to the list of NFL writers who suggested that the figurative seat belongs to Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is at least somewhat lukewarm amid the Chargers’ 0-4 start to the season.
For a piece published on Wednesday, ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano addressed the Harbaugh-related chatter that has been swirling around the Chargers this fall.
Will Jim Harbaugh be given a chance to find a solution for the Chargers?
“The Chargers didn’t expect their team to hurtle toward irrelevance in Jim Harbaugh’s third season,” Fowler wrote. “Other than going back, it looks like there’s something to answer for in Los Angeles. Harbaugh has a massive five-year deal (reportedly worth $80M) and has built up an equal sweat with back-to-back 11-win seasons. Maybe the Chargers will ask him to stay and rebuild the staff this offseason, depending on how he looks in the next few months. that.”
While Harbaugh said committed keeping first-year Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, it may only be a matter of time before Harbaugh experiences a change of heart. ESPN’s stats show that The Chargers finished Week 4 ranked 21st in the NFL averaging 306.8 yards per game and 29th with an average of 16.8 points scored per contest. According to Pro Football Reference, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert heading into Week 5 ranked 28th out of 29 qualified players with a 28.0 adjusted QBR for the campaign.
Jim Harbaugh, other Chargers teammates may be “in trouble”
As of Wednesday morning, the DraftKings Sportsbook had the winless Chargers as 3.5-point underdogs for Sunday’s upcoming home game against a 2-2 Denver Broncos side that has had its own offensive woes this fall. Graziano seems to think Harbaugh is among the people associated with the Chargers who could finally be shown the door if things go sour at the club.
“Let’s have a massive turnaround, you have to think something is going to go wrong with the Chargers,” Graziano added. “Head coach? GM? Quarterback? All of the above?”
Harbaugh will almost certainly be a hot head-coaching candidate if the Chargers go in a different direction come January. For what it’s worth, such a fact hasn’t deterred Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. from firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh this past winter.