Leigh Steinberg: Don't Count Out the Chargers Despite 0-2 Start

The Los Angeles Chargers, one of eight teams to open the NFL season with an 0-2 record, are in need of a turnaround. Historically, teams starting the season winless in their first two games face an uphill battle to reach the postseason, with only 16% of such teams making the playoffs since the expansion of the format in 2020. Despite the Chargers' losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, where they were favored, veteran agent Leigh Steinberg remains optimistic about their prospects.

Steinberg attributes his confidence to head coach Jim Harbaugh, whom he considers one of the most effective coaches in professional football history. "At the end of the day, I think, Jim Harbaugh is one of the most effective and unique coaches in the history of pro football," Steinberg told OutKick. "And the fact that they’ve lost two games, there are 15 left, and they’ll make adjustments, they can see what’s happening on the film, they understand that if you’re fumbling the ball multiple times and (committing) turnovers, but, I’d be very surprised if they weren’t in the playoff hunt."

The Chargers began the season with aspirations of contending in the AFC, buoyed by the addition of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. However, in the initial two games, the team has a turnover differential of minus-4 and is averaging just 14 points per contest.

Steinberg dismissed speculation about Harbaugh being on the hot seat, labeling such talk as premature. "There’s not a ton of storylines at this point in the season, so people have a tendency to overreact to 2 weeks. It's only been two weeks, it's just too early to consign someone," Steinberg said.

In Harbaugh's first two seasons, the Chargers achieved an 11-6 record each year, but were eliminated in the wild-card round on both occasions. The team faces a challenging upcoming schedule, including matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans within their next six games. Should the offense fail to improve and the Chargers fall significantly below .500 by the midpoint of the season, their position in the competitive AFC West could become precarious.