January 23, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers have requested to interview Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr for their vacant defensive-coordinator job, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Orr has been the Ravens' DC for the last two seasons and previously worked alongside former Chargers DC Jesse Minter, who became the new head coach of the Ravens on Thursday. The Ravens defense ranked ninth in points allowed in 2024, but they fell to 18th in that category under Orr in 2025 and also ranked 24th in yards allowed. Meanwhile, the Chargers' defense ranked ninth in points per game (20) and fifth in total yards allowed per game (285.2) under Minter. Orr still has a lot to prove as a defensive coordinator, but if he heads to L.A. to coach under another Harbaugh, he'll have a strong base to work with in what was one of the most underrated defenses in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 20, 2026
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is expected to become the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive coordinator, barring a change of heart, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. McDaniel has informed other teams that he's out of the running, and he's scheduled to have dinner with the Chargers on Tuesday night. In L.A., McDaniel will be replacing Greg Roman. It will be quite the scheme change for the Bolts, going from a run-first offensive mind in Roman to McDaniel, who runs a version of Kyle Shanahan's offense in San Francisco. McDaniel went 35-33 with two playoff appearances in his four seasons in Miami, and he'll now join a Chargers team that has two 11-win seasons under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The addition of McDaniel in L.A. should be good news for both quarterback
Justin Herbert and young running back
Omarion Hampton heading into next season.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 19, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was requested to interview for the Los Angeles Chargers' vacant offensive coordinator position, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Smith has generated significant OC interest around the league and is also a head-coaching candidate for a few teams. The Steelers averaged their most points under Smith in 2025 since the 2020 season, and he also had a top-five offense back when he was the OC for the Tennessee Titans. Smith is unlikely to return to the Steel City in 2026 after long-time head coach Mike Timlin resigned last week. The former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is known for running plenty of two-tight-end sets and a run-first offense, which wouldn't be a big departure from previous Chargers OC Greg Roman.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 16, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers confirmed on Friday that they have interviewed former Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan for their offensive-coordinator position, according to Omar Navarro of Chargers.com. Callahan was the head coach for Tennessee in 2024 and 2025 before being fired midseason this year. Before joining the Titans, Callahan had 14 years of coaching experience in the NFL, including five seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals' OC after being hired in 2019. With Cincy, he helped the team to two AFC North titles, two AFC Championship appearances, and a trip to a Super Bowl. The Bengals' offense ranked among the top units in his final three years at the helm, but he wasn't able to get the Titans turned around in his brief stint there. The Bolts are looking to replace Greg Roman. A move to Callahan would be a seismic shift away from a run-heavy offense and toward more of a pass-heavy approach.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chargers.com - Omar Navarro
January 13, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has head-coaching interview requests from the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and Tennessee Titans, a source told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Minter will interview with the Titans and Cardinals on Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Steelers now have an opening as well after Mike Tomlin stepped down on Tuesday, but it's unclear if they'll have interest in Minter for that job. Minter's defense in L.A. helped lead the team to the postseason for the second straight year, but they fell 16-3 to the New England Patriots on Wild-Card weekend on Sunday night. Due to his strong work with the Chargers' defense the last couple of seasons, Minter has become one of the most popular head-coaching candidates this cycle.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sports Illustrated - Albert Breer
January 13, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Tuesday, sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The move comes two days after an embarrassing offensive performance by Roman's unit in the 16-3 Wild-Card loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night. Quarterback
Justin Herbert was flustered all game behind a bad offensive line, and the running game was virtually non-existent. The Chargers have made the playoffs the last two years with Roman as their play-caller, but they've scored a total of 15 offensive points in those two postseason losses to the Patriots and Houston Texans. In a league that puts a heavy emphasis on throwing the ball, Roman is the last of a dying breed -- a run-first coordinator who believes in letting his offensive linemen to come off the ball and play downhill as blockers. In the end, injuries to key players on the O-line in L.A. didn't give Roman much of a chance.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 11, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back
Omarion Hampton (ankle) is officially active for Sunday's playoff contest against the New England Patriots. He had been listed as questionable and missed a pair of practices before being upgraded to a limited participant on Friday. Hampton sat out Week 18 with an ankle injury, but his absence was more of a precaution as Los Angeles rested many starters, and the rookie running back was just four weeks removed from a seven-game absence. He took a little while to get back to 100 percent after the injury, but his 81% snap share and 22 touches from Week 17 should indicate that he's back to a starter's workload. We wouldn't be surprised to see him handle another 20-plus touches against the Patriots, whose run defense started to falter down the stretch but still finished with the third-fewest fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs in 2025.
--Andersen PickardSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 11, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end
Oronde Gadsden displayed his versatility and developed a strong connection with
Justin Herbert during the 2025 NFL season. The 22-year-old had 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns on 69 targets. Gadsden was a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers who were able to snipe him off waivers in his rookie season. Entering Wild Card Weekend, Gadsden will face a solid New England Patriots defense. The Patriots' defense allowed the fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns and the sixth-fewest rushing yards, while having one of the NFL's mild passing defenses. This could favor the Gadsden and the Chargers' passing attack. If the Chargers have a slow start running the football, they could turn Herbert's arm loose early. Gadsden could see a good number of targets against an average NFL passing defense in his first playoff game.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: NFL.com
January 11, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston was on a fantasy rollercoaster throughout the 2025 regular season. Johnston started the year on a tear and finished on a high note, but in the middle of the year, his fantasy production took a large dip. The 24-year-old had 51 catches for 735 yards and eight touchdowns, missing three regular-season games due to injuries and being rested as a key starter in Week 18. Entering Wild Card Weekend, Johnston will face the New England Patriots. The Patriots' defense ranked near the middle of the league in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers in 2025, but they allowed the seventh-most touchdowns to the position. Johnston has had a knack for scoring touchdowns the last two seasons and has become a reliable red zone weapon for
Justin Herbert. In a big game, Johnston will look to be a major contributor in the red zone.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
January 11, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Ladd McConkey was an inconsistent contributor throughout the 2025 regular season, but he'll have an opportunity to get back on track by making a big impact against the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs on Sunday evening. McConkey had 66 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns through 16 regular-season games, with his lone absence coming in Week 18 as Los Angeles rested key starters. New England ranked near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers in 2025, but they did allow the seventh-most touchdowns to the position. The best fantasy performance of McConkey's career came against the Patriots in Week 17 of the 2024 season, as he caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. New England's defense has gotten much stronger since then, but nonetheless, the second-year wideout will look to use today's game as an opportunity to get back on track.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 11, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback
Justin Herbert is well-rested coming into Wild Card Weekend after he sat out Week 18 against the Denver Broncos. Now, the Chargers open their playoff run with a road game against the AFC East champion New England Patriots. When Herbert last played 15 days ago against the Texans, He tallied 236 passing yards, 37 rushing yards, and one touchdown. However, he also took five sacks and threw an interception in that four-point loss. The interceptions have become a worrisome trend for Herbert, who has been picked off in four of his last five games. He also has five total turnovers during that span. Herbert hasn't gone back-to-back weeks without an interception since Weeks 1 and 2. He'll be tasked with protecting the football on Sunday if the Chargers have any chance of pulling off a road upset. One potential route to success for Herbert is running the football. He has 145 rushing yards in his last four games.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 11, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Omarion Hampton (ankle) is officially questionable for his team's Wild Card round matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday night due to an ankle injury. However, the rookie back has said he expects to play. Hampton missed a significant chunk of the regular season with a fractured ankle, so he's been battling ankle ailments since early October. When on the field, the 22-year-old has been productive. Across nine games played in the regular season, Hampton racked up 545 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 124 carries. However, he faces a tough matchup against New England. The Patriots finished the regular season ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (1,729) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed (11). Between the injury question marks and the tough matchup, Hampton profiles as a tough running back to trust for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 9, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver
Keandre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) did not practice all week and has been ruled out for Sunday night's Wild-Card playoff contest against the hosting New England Patriots. Lambert-Smith got more playing time in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos with the Bolts resting some starters, but he injured his hamstring and won't be available for the start of the postseason. The 23-year-old had a very limited role in his first year in the NFL with the Chargers, catching just five passes on 12 targets for 51 yards and one touchdown in 10 games played. Lambert-Smith's absence against the Pats could lead to some more playing time for
Tre' Harris behind
Ladd McConkey,
Keenan Allen, and
Quentin Johnston.
--Keith HernandezSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 9, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back
Omarion Hampton (ankle), who will reportedly carry a questionable tag into Sunday night's Wild-Card matchup with the Patriots, told reporters on Friday that he plans to play. Along with most of the team's starters, Hampton sat out of the team's Week 18 loss to the Broncos, but he did not practice in the week leading up to that game, and he has been listed as a DNP for the first two practices heading into Wild Card Weekend. Managers participating in fantasy playoff leagues will need to monitor Friday's injury report to see if Hampton can log at least a limited session. The Patriots' run defense struggled down the stretch after a dominant start to the season, but with Milton Williams (ankle) back in the lineup following a five-game absence, the team held Miami to 2.5 yards per carry in a dominant Week 18 showing. With leading tackler Robert Spillane also expected to be available for the playoffs, Hampton could face tough sledding in his first career playoff game.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Ian Rapoport
January 9, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back
Omarion Hampton (ankle) will be listed as questionable for the team's Sunday night Wild-Card matchup with the Patriots. Hampton was unable to practice on Wednesday or Thursday after a week of missed practices leading up to the team's Week 18 loss to the Broncos. Hampton had seen his usage steadily increasing from Weeks 14 through 17 after missing two months of action with an ankle injury, so his lack of practice over the past two weeks is concerning. Fantasy managers participating in playoff leagues will need to monitor the Chargers' Friday practice report to see if he can at least log a limited session before the primetime playoff game. If active, Hampton faces a challenging New England front that appears to be getting healthier at the right time.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Adam Schefter
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