Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer made a bold prediction that Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers have a chance to reach Super Bowl LXI.
“Would I be nuts to pick the Chargers to go to the Super Bowl?” Breer wrote. “I know, I know. The Chargers have had these sorts of teams for a quarter century.”
He pointed to several reasons behind his optimism, beginning with what Los Angeles accomplished a season ago despite battling injuries.
The Chargers finished the 2025 season with an 11-6 record under Jim Harbaugh.
According to Breer, the roster has only improved since then.
“Still, last year, they won 11 games, mostly without the two tackles that are the center of the team’s identity; they’re upgrading in a big way at tight end; they have young, rising talent at tailback and receiver; and the talent level on defense is really, really good. I think Justin Herbert, with all this around him, should be an MVP candidate. And that leaves me with replacing Jesse Minter with Chris O’Leary as DC as the biggest question going into camp. Health-allowing, the Rams won’t be the only team threatening to make Super Bowl LXI a home game,” Breer added.
Expectations Continue To Rise Around Justin Herbert And Jim Harbaugh
The Chargers spent their offseason working on offense; they brought in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator while continuing to build around franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.
Host Rich Eisen chose Justin Herbert Over Dak Prescott to make the Super Bowl.
“I’m going Herbert over the Cowboys, any day. I put the Chargers, too, in my way too, too, too early power rankings, so I’m going Herbert. Plus, there’s an alarm that got set. Yeah, that anytime, anytime, Kris does not troll on Herbert, a Charger gets its wings, and that’s when the alarm goes off,” Eisen said.
Health will be one of the biggest challenges for Herbert this season. The star QB fractured his left hand last season, and though he appears to be back in shape, there are still concerns about whether he will be able to go all out during the season.
Whether Los Angeles can finally shed its reputation for postseason disappointment remains to be seen, but with Herbert entering his prime and Harbaugh continuing to reshape the culture, the Chargers are a legitimate championship contender heading into the 2026 NFL season.
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