The Los Angeles Chargers entered the 2026 season expecting Mike McDaniel's arrival as offensive coordinator to supercharge Justin Herbert and the rest of the unit. Instead, no team in the NFL has fallen flatter. The offense ranks at the bottom of the league, the club is 0-7 entering Week 9, and the pressure on McDaniel is intensifying.
That backdrop has produced a change in how McDaniel will operate on game day. He told reporters on Thursday that he plans to call plays from the coaching box rather than the sideline going forward.
"One of the things I talked with [Jim Harbaugh] about, one of the things that I want to try is call plays from the box to kind of see adjustments for myself and communicate to the position coaches appropriately what we can focus on between series," McDaniel said. "I'm being very open-minded with all things. Not trying to prove or justify anything that ultimately leads to underwhelming results. You do your best. You make decisions from a point of information, expertise, and integrity, and then you understand that no one is going to care unless something changes."
McDaniel said the move makes sense given how the season has gone, and noted he only felt comfortable raising the idea because of his confidence in the rest of the offensive coaching staff and their ability to set the tone and relay information on the sidelines. The Chargers host the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium in Week 9.
Whether a new vantage point can spark anything is an open question. Beyond the winless record, Los Angeles ranks last in the NFL in points per game, 28th in total yards per game and 30th in yards per play. The offense has gone without a touchdown in its past two games and has not reached the end zone since the third quarter of a Week 5 game against Denver, a span of 27 straight drives.
Herbert, meanwhile, has regressed dramatically under McDaniel. The quarterback has thrown five touchdowns and 10 interceptions through seven games, and his late-game struggles stand out: six turnovers and zero total touchdowns in the fourth quarter this season.
The move to the booth looks like a last-ditch effort, and the next step could be McDaniel's exit. If the offense remains lifeless against Houston, it would not be surprising if that proved to be the final straw and led to his firing, a decision Harbaugh has been reluctant to make to this point.
The matchup could offer an opportunity. The Texans' defense has not been as dominant as it was a year ago, allowing three 30-point games this season after surrendering just one in 2025, and permitting three 300-yard passers after allowing none last year.
If the Chargers make Houston look like its 2025 self, it would only add ammunition to the case for moving on from McDaniel, especially with extended time before Los Angeles kicks off Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens next Monday night.
