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Should Jim Harbaugh hot seat conversation start with possible loss to Vikings?

Originally posted on Los Angeles Chargers on SI
By Chris Roling | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 5:30 AM ET

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has started to come under an increasing amount of scrutiny as the season continues.

On the heels of an unexpected playoff berth in what looked like the debut year of a multi-season rebuild, Harbaugh’s Chargers rattled off three straight wins over the AFC West to take a commanding lead in the division while Justin Herbert looked like an MVP.

Since the wheels have completely fallen off.

The Chargers have lost three of their last four and, were it not for the imploding 1-6 Miami Dolphins, it might’ve been four of four. Even the win over the Dolphins was simply a two-point escape.

If the Chargers stumble in primetime against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night and fall to 4-4, some uncomfortable concerns about Harbaugh might pop up.

Jim Harbaugh on the hot seat with Chargers loss?

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Harbaugh is in a tough spot, no doubt. His team has hit the standard Chargers luck in terms of the injury bug. And no team can just simply endure going from the best offensive tackle duo in football to the worst thanks to injury.

It would appear Harbaugh also has the player personnel department working against him. General manager Joe Hortiz made some odd choices this past offseason, sitting on droves of cap space, yet losing names like Poona Ford and making the only serious move along the interior offensive line an extremely risky one that is in the middle of backfiring (Mekhi Becton).

And yet.

The issues go beyond injuries. The Chargers are tackling poorly, making silly mistakes and simply look outmatched when it comes to physicality. Those aren’t things that normally define Harbaugh teams.

If something doesn’t change, if the Chargers don’t start pulling themselves out of this slump, it’s going to be pretty hard to blame onlookers who start rumbling about his seat warming up.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Chargers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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