Tag: Jim Harbaugh

Key free-agent-to-be wants to remain with Chargers

The Chargers should prioritize bringing back this key offensive player from this past season.

The Chargers have a big decision to make regarding running back J.K. Dobbins, who will be a free agent this offseason.

It remains to be seen whether they will bring him back, but it’s clear that Dobbins would like to stay in Los Angeles.

“Hopefully, maybe, I can be a Charger for the rest of the time playing … we’ll see here pretty soon,” Dobbins said on an episode of Up & Adams.

Dobbins was signed by the Bolts last offseason after spending four seasons with the Ravens, where he flashed his talent but was also derailed by injuries that kept him sidelined for most of his time in Baltimore.

Silencing the doubters who believed he couldn’t stay healthy, Dobbins set career highs in rushing yards (905) and tied his personal best with nine rushing touchdowns.

“It definitely feels good. And I love the Chargers fans,” Dobbins said. “It was a great year. It was a special year. [The fans] believed in me. When they really saw that I was healthy, they embraced me.”

As a result of his bounce-back campaign, Dobbins is a finalist for the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year Award.

“Yes, I do. I love the Chargers. Hopefully, everything will work out,” Dobbins added, confirming that he wants to remain in the powder blue and gold.

Chargers 2025 offseason preview: Pending free agents, cap space, team needs, draft picks

Examining the Chargers’ offseason, including team needs, pending free agents, and salary-cap space.

After finishing 11-6 and making the playoffs, the Chargers are in full offseason mode.

Los Angeles is still a couple of months away from the new league frenzy, but it’s not too early to look at what to expect then, starting with 27 players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents.

  1. CB Eli Apple
  2. OL Bradley Bozeman
  3. WR DJ Chark
  4. RB J.K. Dobbins
  5. LB Troy Dye
  6. TE Hayden Hurst
  7. WR Simi Fehoko
  8. DL Poona Ford
  9. DL Morgan Fox
  10. CB Kristian Fulton
  11. QB Taylor Heinicke
  12. OL Brenden Jaimes
  13. S Tony Jefferson
  14. EDGE Khalil Mack
  15. S Marcus Maye
  16. S Elijah Molden
  17. OL Sam Mustipher
  18. LB Nick Niemann
  19. WR Joshua Palmer
  20. LB Denzel Perryman
  21. LB Shaq Quarterman
  22. WR Jalen Reagor
  23. EDGE Chris Rumph II
  24. CB Asante Samuel, Jr.
  25. P JK Scott
  26. QB Easton Stick
  27. DL Teair Tart

Cap space

The Chargers have a projected $63 million in cap space, the sixth most among all NFL teams.

Team needs

Wide receiver

Time and time again, we saw Justin Herbert’s receivers drop crucial passes this season. Ladd McConkey is here to stay for the long term, and Quentin Johnston did show some improvements. With that, the Chargers still need a legit No. 1 playmaker on the outsider, like a Tee Higgins in free agency. Keenan Allen even teased that he would consider a return to Los Angeles. Regardless of who it is, the Chargers must get Herbert some help and it should be at the top of the priority list.

Tight end

Just behind the wide receiver position, the Chargers need tight end talent badly as well. Recent mock drafts have had Los Angeles using their first-round draft selection on a tight end. This year’s talent at the position was subpar in both the pass-catching and blocking departments. Don’t be surprised to see the front office add multiple tight ends this offseason.

Center

The offensive line is set at offensive tackle, but center was the clear weakness of this unit in 2024. Bradley Bozeman was brought in on a cheap deal, and it didn’t work out. He was regularly the weak link of the offensive line, and it’s time Los Angeles gets younger at this position.

Running back

J.K. Dobbins proved to be a good value pickup. But as we saw, his injury history is concerning. While he can’t be relied upon for an entire 17-game season, Dobbins could be a candidate to return on a short-term deal. Still, it would be wise to draft a running back in this year’s deep class or resort to the free agency pool to improve a rushing offense that ranked far below Jim Harbaugh’s standards.

Guard

Zion Johnson is sometimes inconsistent, but he will still be a starter on the left side in 2025. However, the team has a decision to make regarding his fifth-year option. On the right side, the team should seek reinforcements through the draft and free agency. Trey Pipkins was not good enough, particularly in pass protection.

Interior defensive line

Poona Ford is the big name to watch here, as he had a breakout season this year and is set to hit free agency. He was dominant on the inside, particularly in the run game. Even if Ford is brought back, this unit still needs some depth.

Cornerback

Kristian Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. are set to become free agents, so the team must decide on those two first and foremost. Beyond that, Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still are in the plans after promising rookie seasons. The team will need depth, at minimum, at the position still. The front office may even consider getting a No. 1 corner in free agency if they lose Fulton and Samuel.

Edge defender

This is largely dependent on Khalil Mack’s fate. Mack will turn 34 in a little over a month. The veteran is coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, and he was phenomenal under Jesse Minter this year. The team should do everything in its power to bring him back, but if they do lose him, this becomes a huge area of concern. Additionally, the team could cut ties with Joey Bosa, who has struggled with injuries.

Draft picks

The Chargers have the No. 22 overall selection and are projected to have ten total picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

AFC West now has absolutely legendary lineup of head coaches

Andy Reid started it all. Long been one of the most respected NFL coaches. Comes to the Chiefs and turns them into a power house. And for several years, it was Reid and the Chiefs and everyone else. That changed two years ago when the Broncos hired …

Andy Reid started it all. Long been one of the most respected NFL coaches. Comes to the Chiefs and turns them into a power house. And for several years, it was Reid and the Chiefs and everyone else.

That changed two years ago when the Broncos hired Sean Payton as head coach. Then the Chargers joined them last year, hiring reigning National Championship winning head coach Jim Harbaugh. Leaving the Raiders as the stragglers.

Not any more.

Friday the Raiders signed Pete Carroll to a three-year deal to become their head coach. Completing and AFC West makeover of head coaching and giving the division the most legendary foursome of head coaches you’ll ever see.

Between the four of them, you have 20 Conference Championships and nine Super Bowl appearances.

Here’s how that stacks up:

Stats Andy Reid Sean Payton Pete Carroll Jim Harbaugh
Conf Champ gms 12 3 2 3
Super Bowls 5 1 2 1
Super Bowl wins 3 1 1 0

Carroll’s playoff record (11-11), Super Bowl appearances (two), and Super Bowl wins (one) are all second only to Andy Reid in the division.

And you can throw in a College Football National Championship, which he and Harbaugh both have.

It took a while, but the Raiders feel like they can finally compete with the rest of the AFC West in the legendary head coach department.

With Pete Carroll, AFC West is stacked with coaching talent

With Pete Carroll, AFC West is stacked with coaching talent

Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is officially the next leader of the Las Vegas Raiders. After one year away from the sport, Carroll is back in black… literally. The Super Bowl XLVIII champion will now attempt to work his rebuilding/culture setting magic once more in Sin City with a Raiders team that’s been lost in the wilderness for the better part of two full decades.

However, it won’t be an easy road for Carroll, as the AFC West is now brimming with top coaches in all four teams. Andy Reid leads the Kansas City Chiefs, Carroll’s former arch rival Jim Harbaugh is with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Sean Payton is now entering his third year with the Denver Broncos. When looking at the resume’s of all four men, it is an embarrassment of riches.

Of course the bulk of those Super Bowl and conference championship appearances do come from Andy Reid. Reid has taken the Chiefs to four Super Bowls, and he went to one with the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2004. In total, he has 12 appearances in the conference championship round, seven with the Chiefs and five with the Eagles.

That being said, Carroll’s two trips to the Super Bowl are second only to Reid in the AFC West, having one more than both Harbaugh and Payton. His postseason record of 11-11 is better than Payton’s (9-9) and Harbaugh’s (5-4) as well.

It won’t be an easy path to success, and this Raiders job is arguably the greatest challenge of Carroll’s career. Yet I have a strong feeling this is exactly how Pete likes it.

Always compete… and just win, baby!

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The AFC West is now stacked with Super Bowl-winning coaches

AFC West coaches Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh have reached nine combined Super Bowls.

The Las Vegas Raiders made a splash on Friday by hiring Pete Carroll as their new head coach.

Carroll, 73, now joins a stacked group of head coaches in AFC West. Carroll, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, will now compete against three-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) and one-time Super Bowl champion Sean Payton (Denver Broncos).

Jim Harbaugh also just joined the division last year and while he does not yet have a ring, Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance and he has a 55-25-1 all-time record in the NFL.

The four AFC West coaches have reached 20 conference title games with nine combined Super Bowl appearances, arguably making it the most impressive division of coaches in the NFL.

The Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes), Chargers (Justin Herbert) and Broncos (Bo Nix) all have their answers at quarterback. Now Carroll will aim to help the Raiders find their long-term QB in 2025.

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2025 NFL draft: PFF identifies ‘perfect’ prospect for Chargers

Pro Football Focus recently identified the perfect 2025 NFL draft prospect for every team in the league.

Pro Football Focus recently identified the perfect 2025 NFL draft prospect for every team in the league.

For Los Angeles, it is Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.

Considering Jim Harbaugh’s affinity for tight ends, it was a major surprise to many that Seattle was quicker on the trigger in last year’s draft for former Michigan TE AJ Barner (30 catches for 245 yards and four TDs in 2024). Luckily for the Chargers’ head coach, he can set his sights on another Michigan man in this draft, one with the athletic profile that warrants a first-round selection.

Despite a 2024 campaign limited by spotty QB play and multiple injuries, Loveland still managed a 90.2 receiving grade. Over the past two seasons for the Maize and Blue, he amassed 103 catches for 649 yards, nine scores and 62 first downs.

L.A. hasn’t had a good pass-catching tight end since Hunter Henry a few years back. When Henry was with the Chargers, he and Justin Herbert had a strong chemistry, so adding a receiving TE is imperative.

Loveland could step in from Day 1 and fulfill that need.

A run-heavy offense and instability at quarterback limited Loveland this past season. Still, he has proven himself a reliable receiver, possessing the route-running chops, ball skills, contested catch ability, and body control.

Loveland was a key piece of the Wolverines’ offense in 2023, the year that Jim Harbaugh guided them to a national title. He posted 45 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns.

Chargers have decision to make at center: Will they keep Bradley Bozeman?

The Chargers have a decision to make regarding their plan with the center position.

The Chargers have some big decisions to make with their internal free agents. Among the crop includes center Bradley Bozeman.

Signed last offseason to replace Corey Linsley, Bozeman started all 18 games and led the team in offensive snaps with 1,057.

While he was on the field for nearly every snap, Bozeman experienced some struggles, particularly in pass protection. He finished with a 53.1 pass-blocking grade, which ranked 53rd out of 64 qualifying centers.

Bozeman would like to return to Los Angeles. Following the Chargers’ loss to the Texans in the wild-card round, while fighting back tears, Bozeman said, “I hope I’m around next year. I love this place. I want to be here. But right now, it’s out of my hands.”

When asked about the possibility of Bozeman returning, general manager Joe Hortiz said, “We want everyone back,” adding that he’s already had conversations with him about possibly returning.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh heaped high praise on Bozeman’s availability. “I want guys like that back,” Harbaugh said.

The Chargers would love to have Bozeman back, but they must start thinking about the future.

That is why they should look to the draft to add one and let there be competition for the starting job. However, if Bozeman is guaranteed to start somewhere else, Los Angeles will likely skim through the free agency market for a veteran.

PFF names Chargers’ breakout candidate for 2025

A Chargers defender was tabbed as a breakout candidate for the 2025 season.

Every season, some players emerge whose presences may not have been known the previous season, whether they had limited snaps or dealt with an injury.

Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker went through all 32 teams and named an early breakout candidate from each one. For the Chargers, Locker pegged second-year linebacker Junior Colson as his.

Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye are free agents, as are several notable Chargers defenders. That should open the door for Colson, who will get another year to develop in Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter’s scheme. Colson struggled in coverage in the 2024 regular season to a dismal 34.0 PFF coverage grade, but he impressed as a tackler, with only a 6.7% miss rate. The Chargers helped Daiyan Henley improve into a solid off-ball linebacker this year, and the 22-year-old Colson might be next up.

Colson, the 2024 third-round pick out of Michigan, had his rookie season slowed due to injuries. He appeared in 11 games, finishing with 29 tackles and one pass deflection.

Looking ahead to his sophomore season, Colson is currently in line to start alongside Daiyan Henley, who had a Pro Bowl-caliber season in his first year as a full-time starter.

The body of work that defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was able to do with Henley this past season should be an indication of what he could do with Colson in Year 2.

Josh Allen will want to avoid Ravens LB Kyle Van Noy in AFC Divisional

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy led the team in total sacks with 12.5 in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy led the team in total sacks with 12.5 in 2024. Soft-spoken, Van Noy has thrived as a game-wrecking force for defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who will be looking to contain Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen this Sunday.

With teammate Nnamdi Madubuike on the inside and Odafe Oweh on the opposite, Orr uses a swarm attack to contain opposing quarterbacks and keep them inside the numbers. The Bills’ O-line protected Josh Allen exceptionally in the AFC wildcard game, but he still was sacked twice—a key point to remember versus the novice Broncos opponent.

Linebacker Roquan Smith mentioned in an interview on NFL Network earlier this week that the Ravens wanted to make a goal of stopping the run and forcing the Bills to be one-dimensional on offense.

Expect Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady to use quick pass plays, screens, and misdirection to nullify the defensive line’s intensity. If not, Van Noy and company may weary the Bills offensive line as the game progresses.

49ers legend Patrick Willis shares thoughts on Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh

49ers legend Patrick Willis shares his thoughts on Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Pro Football Hall of Famer and former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Willis—on behalf of Verizon—discussed the First-Ever Super Bowl FanFest, which will bring a Super Bowl LIX experience to 30 NFL cities across the country. He also reflected on his time playing under head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Verizon is transforming stadiums and venues across all 30 NFL markets into a nationwide FanFest unlike any other. On Super Bowl LIX Sunday, fans will enjoy free celebrations, including food and beverages from locally owned small businesses, meet-and-greets with local football heroes, live local music acts, interactive games, and unique football fan experiences.

Fans will also experience Super Bowl LIX activities in select cities on the field.

Willis played under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco during the last few seasons of his career and experienced much success. He spoke highly of the current Los Angeles Chargers head coach and his impact on his career.

“I was very fortunate to play with that and be a part of that coaching staff,” Willis explained. “When you’re not winning, there are many reasons. There could be a lot of reasons for that; my first few years were tough. It was tough, going .500 and just trying to get into the playoffs at eight and eight or nine and seven. And I remember, again, in 2011, it was a lot of uncertainty. It was coming off a lockout with a new coaching staff. We hadn’t had a chance to have an off-season workout, and we weren’t able to build that camaraderie.”

Harbaugh has earned a reputation over his career for his intensity and focus on winning regardless of the deficit.

“I believe it was a game that happened, I want to say it was the Philadelphia Eagles game, and we [were] playing them,” Willis said. “We [were] down at halftime. when you’ve been used to being on a team, it’s not so well, you’re going to have time. Fingers are pointing, and people are going at each other. It could be a little tough in there.

“I remember going in and thinking like, oh man, being so traumatized from what used to be. I remember we were going in and remember hearing, first, it starts up top and goes downhill, and hearing Harbaugh say, ‘You know what, we got ourselves in a hole, but we know we’re going to do ourselves out. We are going to fight in every play, just the way he went about it.”

Willis had the most team success while Harbaugh was the 49ers’ head coach and continues to wish him well as he led the Chargers to a Wild Card round appearance in his first season in Los Angeles.

“It was so amazing that I remember just saying, like, hey, I think he is going to be alright, I think he gets it, and we go on to have no go to we’re going to have an amazing, three out of four years together because our last season didn’t go as well, but overall, Coach Harbaugh is a tremendous coach,” said Willis. “I was very excited to see him go to see him have the success he had after leaving, the success he had in Michigan, and then see the success he had this year at the Los Angeles Chargers; it was awesome to see.”

Visit VerizonFanFest.com for a full list of events and locations and access to free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. FanFests across the country will take place on Sunday, February 9, beginning at 4pm ET / 1pm PT.