Three burning questions for 2025 Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs in their first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh but lost to the Houston Texans 32-12 in the AFC wild-card round. 

The Bolts must address pivotal questions to make a deeper postseason run this upcoming season. Here are three heading into 2025:

How do they optimize QB Justin Herbert? 

Harbaugh awoke one morning with a clear vision for Herbert's career. 

"I woke up the other day and said, 'I got to get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. Must get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame,'" Harbaugh said on "The Rich Eisen Show" on May 2." "It's one of those things where you wake up at 3:30, 4 in the morning. Sometimes, that's when your best ideas come." 

Harbaugh must help Herbert win his first playoff game to achieve that lofty goal. The QB is 0-2 in the postseason in five seasons with the Chargers. During their playoff loss to Houston last season, he threw four interceptions and posted an awful 12.8 QBR.  

Letting it fly more could also benefit the quarterback. In 17 regular-season starts in 2024, he averaged a career-low 227.6 passing yards per game. 

Herbert, however, could enter the MVP discussion if he elevates his game in his second season with Harbaugh. As of Thursday, FanDuel Sportsbook gives him +2000 odds to win the award, tied with Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts for the sixth best.

Do they already have one of the better backfield tandems in the NFL? 

In free agency, the Chargers signed RB Najee Harris, a former Pittsburgh Steelers star, to a one-year, $5.25M deal. Surprisingly, L.A. grabbed North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton with pick No. 22 in the NFL Draft in April.

The backfield now seems crowded, but a two-back system suits Harbaugh's smashmouth offense. Hampton could also be an ideal complement for Harris. 

In 12 games in his final season at North Carolina, Hampton rushed for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns. Harris, meanwhile, ran for 1,043 yards and six scores in 17 games in his final season with the Steelers. 

On April 29, Hampton told Westwood One's Jim Rome he expects to form "a dominant backfield duo" with Harris. It won't be surprising if they do.

Did they do enough to replace EDGE Joey Bosa? 

The Chargers released Bosa in March, saving $25.36M in cap space. He has since signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Bosa recorded just five sacks in 14 regular-season games in 2024, but the release of the five-time Pro Bowler could create a potential hole in L.A.'s pass rush. 

Fellow edge-rusher Khalil Mack, 34, may be slowing. In 16 regular-season games in 2024, he had six sacks, tied for the second-lowest mark of his career. 

In the draft, the Chargers took South Carolina edge-rusher Kyle Kennard (pick No. 125). In 2024, he had 11.5 sacks and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as college football's best defensive player, so he could be a viable replacement for Bosa.