Rob Gronkowski calls the Chargers the NFL's biggest mess after an 0-2 start with two home losses to last year's worst teams. Here's why he has a point.
Rob Gronkowski has never been shy with an opinion, and two weeks into the 2026 season, he's found an easy target.
The former Patriots tight end singled out the Los Angeles Chargers as the biggest mess in the league right now, and a quick look at their start shows he isn't reaching.
This was supposed to be the soft part of the schedule. Los Angeles opened at home against Arizona and then hosted Las Vegas, two franchises coming off 3-14 seasons.
Most people penciled in a 2-0 start before moving on to the harder stretch. Instead, the Chargers lost both games by the same 26-14 score, becoming the first team ever to drop its first two games to opponents that lost 14 times the year before.
The last time a team started with two home losses like this against clubs that bad was in 1926.
What makes it sting is how much was expected. Jim Harbaugh had produced 11 wins in each of his first two seasons, along with two playoff trips.
Is It The System?
The front office brought in Mike McDaniel to run the offense and unlock more from Justin Herbert. Two games in, the partnership looks more like a work in progress than a finished product, and Herbert hasn't found a rhythm.
Against Arizona, the Chargers trailed by just two early in the fourth quarter before everything fell apart: a sack, a dropped pass on third down, a blocked punt, and a quick Cardinals touchdown.
Against the Raiders, Herbert threw two interceptions, rookie-contract running back Omarion Hampton fumbled late, a shotgun snap bounced off a receiver's leg on a key third down, and All-Pro-caliber tackle Joe Alt was called for holding in the end zone for a safety that capped the day.
The injury report isn't helping. Ladd McConkey, Herbert's most reliable target, left the opener with a chest injury, and Derwin James broke a finger early in the Raiders game.
Looking Forward
Harbaugh has stayed calm in public, insisting his team isn't shaken. Herbert has sounded less patient, admitting the offense isn't good enough and needs to improve immediately. Both are probably right, but only one of those messages matches what fans have watched.
The road ahead looks brutal. The Chargers head to Buffalo this weekend, then Seattle, before facing Denver, Kansas City on the road, and the Rams.
That's five straight games against quality opponents before a bye. Historically, only about one in nine teams that start 0-2 reach the postseason, and the odds get much worse if the losing streaks into October.
That's why Gronkowski's take lands. Talent isn't the issue in Los Angeles. The roster, coach, and quarterback are all good enough to win.
Right now, though, the Chargers are beating themselves before opponents get the chance. Until they clean up the turnovers, penalties, and special teams blunders, "mess" is the word that will stick.
Buffalo will be their first chance to prove it's temporary.
