Chargers' Jim Harbaugh explains keeping Mike McDaniel as offensive play-caller

Considering that the Los Angeles Chargers did not announce a change during their Week 7 bye, it was assumed that head coach Jim Harbaugh had decided to keep first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as the club's offensive play-caller.

Such assumptions were accurate. 

Jim Harbaugh still "very confident" in Mike McDaniel despite struggles of Chargers offense

Per Alex Insdorf of the "Guilty as Charged" podcast, Harbaugh confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that McDaniel will remain the Chargers' offensive play-caller for when 0-6 Los Angeles is the road team against the 3-4 Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium this coming Sunday. 

"We're very confident in Mike and his talent, work ethic and ability. And continue to be," Harbaugh said. 

Ahead of the Chargers' bye, Harbaugh suggested that a change could be made when he said that he would be "looking into everything at this point" regarding fixes for his winless team. According to ESPN stats, the Chargers rank 28th in the NFL with an average of 287.2 yards per game and last with an average of 15 points per contest for the season. 

Meanwhile, the apparent regression of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has sparked some interesting takes about his future beyond the season. Per ESPN, Herbert is last in the league among qualified passers with a 29.3 adjusted QBR for the campaign. Additionally, StatMuse shows that Herbert is tied with Drake Maye and Daniel Jones for the most turnovers this season (10).

How long will Jim Harbaugh continue to have "trust" in Mike McDaniel?

As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Chargers as 6.5-point underdogs against the Rams. Meanwhile, multiple stories shared throughout October have hinted that Chargers ownership could part ways with Harbaugh if the club doesn't start winning games soon. 

Per Insdorf, Harbaugh insisted that he still has "trust in [McDaniel] and our position coaches." 

It was previously said that McDaniel could either be reassigned to a new role within the Chargers or replaced by passing game specialist Adam Gase, who previously served as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. Theoretically, Harbaugh could embrace one of those options if the Chargers get blown out by the Rams.