After losing their first five games of this season, the Los Angeles Chargers are not only in a world of trouble, but they’re in a situation that could call for major changes.
A number of fans and analysts are calling for bold moves, including but not limited to firing new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, firing head coach Jim Harbaugh and replacing general manager Joe Hortiz. There are even some who feel franchise quarterback Justin Herbert needs to be traded in the near future.
The Chargers, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter, are not even considering the possibility of trading Herbert. But that hasn’t stopped people from speculating on the two-time Pro Bowler’s future with the organization.
“He won’t be there”
Phil Simms, a former star NFL quarterback who led the New York Giants to a victory in Super Bowl XXI, said on New York City-area WFAN that he doubts Herbert will be a member of the Chargers in 2027.
“I feel pretty strongly that he won’t be there,” Simms said.
“This quarterback class, who knows how that’s going to be coming out. But I think they’re going to make severe changes to the football team, to the organization, to get this somehow back on track.
“The best way to do it — there are a lot of teams in the NFL that will run and be willing to give up quite a bit for Justin Herbert, even though this year has been by far his worst.”
Over the years, the Spanos family, which has owned the Chargers since 1984, has had a reputation for being risk-averse and unwilling to invest the type of money into the team that it takes to win a Super Bowl championship. The hope was that when it hired Harbaugh in 2024, perhaps it signaled a philosophical shift in terms of what management is willing to do in order to win.
The franchise has been snakebitten for many years and has suffered plenty of heartbreaking losses, both in the playoffs and at the end of the regular season. It made one trip to the Super Bowl in the 1994 season, only to get rolled there by the San Francisco 49ers.
Given that McDaniel’s offense is complex and not easy to learn, and given the lack of offensive talent around Herbert, especially on the offensive line and at wide receiver, a strong argument can be made that Herbert needs to be kept for at least one more year.
But if there continues to be a groundswell of support among the fan base to hit the proverbial reset button and perhaps obtain a draft pick to use on one of the promising QBs who will be available in the 2027 NFL Draft, perhaps the Chargers could be persuaded to do what Simms alluded to.
More on the Los Angeles Chargers
- Is Justin Herbert Broken? Chargers QB Plummets 15 Spots to No. 22 in NFL QB Rankings
- NFL Insider Mentions a Possible Successor to Chargers OC Mike McDaniel
- Winless Chargers May Get WR Reinforcements for Week 6 vs. Chiefs
- Another Key Chargers Player Has Been Mentioned as a Trade Candidate
