Chargers face mounting questions after 0-3 start under Harbaugh

The Los Angeles Chargers have opened the 2026 season 0-3, prompting growing scrutiny of head coach Jim Harbaugh's tenure and the play of quarterback Justin Herbert, according to ESPN.

ESPN's assessment paints a picture of a team that entered the year with postseason aspirations but has instead found itself searching for answers through the first month of the season. Herbert, long regarded as one of the league's most talented young passers, has been part of an offense that has not yet found consistency, contributing to the winless start.

Harbaugh arrived in Los Angeles with a track record of quickly turning around programs, built largely on physical, run-oriented football and a hard-nosed defensive identity. Early results this season, however, have not matched that reputation, and the 0-3 start has reignited questions about whether his approach can translate into sustained success with this roster.

The Chargers' struggles are not framed by ESPN as isolated to any one unit. Instead, the report characterizes the team's issues as spreading across multiple phases of the game, compounding the pressure on both the coaching staff and Herbert heading into the next stretch of games.

With the season still young, there remains time for the Chargers to turn things around. But ESPN notes that patience inside and outside the organization is likely to shrink the longer the losing continues, particularly given the expectations that accompanied Harbaugh's hire and Herbert's long-term contract commitment from the franchise.