Jim Harbaugh’s Job Looks Safe for Now, but the Chargers’ Collapse Is Putting His Credibility at Risk

Coming into the season, the Los Angeles Chargers had real hopes in the AFC West under Jim Harbaugh, but they are now the only winless team left in the NFL.

A question that would have sounded ridiculous in August now follows Jim Harbaugh into every press conference: Is his job actually in danger?

For now, the consensus around the league says no. The reasons go deeper than goodwill, but each loss makes them harder to lean on.

The first layer of protection is what Harbaugh has already done. He took over a franchise known for finding new ways to lose and went 11-6 in each of his first two seasons.

That kind of record buys a coach some patience, even in a year that has fallen apart this badly. The Spanos family has also never been quick to fire coaches. Brandon Staley got plenty of time before he was let go.

On top of that, Harbaugh signed a five-year deal worth roughly $16 million a season, which makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.

Walking away from that contract after a bad half-season isn’t something an ownership group known for watching its money is likely to do.

Sunday’s 24-9 loss to the Rams dropped the Chargers to 0-7 for the first time since 2000, when Harbaugh himself was the team’s quarterback.

The offense has now gone 27 straight drives without a touchdown, and Justin Herbert leads the league with 10 interceptions.

The national conversation has followed the losses: prominent insiders have begun openly asking whether Harbaugh’s seat is warmer than the organization will admit.

So far, the man taking most of the heat is offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. He was brought in as the prize hire of the offseason, the coordinator who would finally help Herbert reach his ceiling. Harbaugh has stood by him anyway.

After the sixth loss, he said the staff would “look at everything” and insisted the job he’s doing “starts with me.” He kept McDaniel through the bye week, and after the Rams game, he confirmed McDaniel would keep calling plays.

His message was that the team knows what’s wrong and that only the people in the building can fix it.

Harbaugh has also gone out of his way to show that he and ownership are on the same page, saying he and the Spanos family are “shoulder to shoulder” in this fight. Some will read that as solidarity. Others will see a coach trying to settle a situation that is clearly unsettled.

Houston comes to SoFi Stadium on Sunday as the favorite, and the trade deadline arrives Tuesday, with contenders already calling about veterans like Khalil Mack.

If the losing continues, the debate over who takes the blame, whether that’s McDaniel, Herbert, or eventually Harbaugh, will only get louder heading into the offseason.