Los Angeles Chargers hot takes and takeaways around OTAs work

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL right now. 

Some view the Chargers as an afterthought in the stacked AFC and AFC West. Others think Year 2 of Jim Harbaugh will produce major results. 

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, so let’s cut through some noise and provide some takeaways after recent OTAs sessions. 

The mistake on OL could haunt Jim Harbaugh 

Listening to Harbaugh and seeing how OTAs went, it seems pretty clear they’re aiming for Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson to be starters again in 2025. Meaning, after all three interior spots flopped last year, Mekhi Becton would be the only new starters. That’s a possible colossal failure waiting to happen. But the team simply didn’t upgrade the other guard spot and Andre James was a lateral move at center. It sets the Chargers up for a big problem in the same area that plagued them last year. 

Justin Herbert slander is amusing

One doesn’t have to look far online to find Herbert shade right now. That’s what happens to star quarterbacks when they put up bad stat lines in playoff games – especially on a team that the world doesn’t see on a national stage often. But Chargers fans know those numbers from the playoff loss are deceptive as he tried to make plays in a win-or-go-home situation. They also know just how many injuries he played through last year. And finally, they know he’s bound to put up even better numbers next year now that the team upgraded the cast of weapons around him.

Year 2 bump is real

Don’t roll eyes at a bump in Year 2 of Harbaugh. It’s not just the head coach’s history, either. It’s mere logic. This time last year, the Chargers were implementing new systems across the board after a major roster reset. There was big roster turnover this year, too. But the returning players have experience in the systems now. Herbert, the elite offensive tackles and core leaders on defense have had a year to digest it. The team will need to adapt now that those same things have 17 games of film for opponents to study, but anything but a continued upward swing would be a big failure.