After a favorable start against rebuilding rivals, Jim Harbaugh’s squad faces a grueling gauntlet of playoff contenders. Discover how a pivotal mid-season stretch defines their 10-7 projection.
The schedule is official for the Los Angeles Chargers following the 2026 NFL schedule release. We are looking ahead to how they could fare in the set of games.
The team opens against two squads that bring in a 3-14 record from their last time on the field. The Chargers play host to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. Presumably they win those games, but only before facing the team's most difficult slate of the year.
The Chargers next take on the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks on the road before facing the Denver Broncos at home and Kansas City Chiefs on the road. The Chargers probably defeat the Chiefs, but how they fare against the other three will be a big mystery. A reasonable prediction is that the Chargers split the four games and carry a 4-2 record into the bye week.
Out of the bye week, the Chargers take on the Los Angeles Rams in a road game. Only they will play in the stadium they normally play in, so the road designation perhaps is really in name, uniform, sideline and locker room.
The Chargers follow the Rams game with the Houston Texans in Los Angeles, the Baltimore Ravens on the road and the New York Jets at home. One could reasonably predict the Chargers to drop the Rams and Texans game, so we'll say the team goes 2-2 in that stretch to get to a 6-4 record. Albeit the road game at home against the Rams makes a 3-1 four-game sample possible.
The next four games are tough but winnable. The Chargers face the New England Patriots in LA in Week 12, followed by road games at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders. Then the Chargers host the San Francisco 49ers. While home field advantage could play a role in games against the Patriots and Niners, both fanbases may show up in droves. Ultimately, the two opponents were better than Los Angeles last season so the Chargers again split the four games to get to 8-6.
The Chargers make their case for a playoff berth with their last three games. They defeat the Miami Dolphins to secure their ninth win. Then come the Kansas City Chiefs and now healthy quarterback Patrick Mahomes II. Mahomes steals a game in Los Angeles, but not before the Chargers get back in the win column on the road against the Denver Broncos.
The Chargers could outperform our expectations, but we'll give them a 10-7 record against a tough schedule. Los Angeles will look to start the season with a dominant win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.