The 2026 Chargers regular-season schedule is out, and it's safe to say the Bolts will headline some of the season's biggest games.
The Chargers are slated to play eight games against playoff opponents from a year ago and three total games on primetime.
And one of those primetime games in particular could end up being one of the games of the year.
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr went through every NFL game this season and listed out his Top 11, with the Chargers hosting the 49ers squarely on his list.
This Thursday Night Football tilt in Week 15 is fascinating for a variety of reasons, starting with new Chargers Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel and intrigue on what the offense could look like with Justin Herbert.
Orr wrote:
In the prodigal son bowl, Mike McDaniel will host former boss and mentor Kyle Shanahan with an offense that McDaniel may have only conjured in a NyQuil-induced fever dream. The Chargers are nearly as deep as McDaniel's Dolphins teams in terms of footspeed at the playmaking positions and are eons deeper in terms of offensive line depth, physicality and quarterback play. This will be the best set of tools at McDaniel's disposal since he coordinated the run game for … Shanahan and the 49ers…
I know we've been saying this about every iteration of the Chargers since 2017, but this team has the chance to be spectacular and could take over as a No. 1 appointment viewing entity based on how well the McDaniel–Justin Herbert relationship goes.
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Not to mention, it would also be notable for Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who would coach against San Francisco for the first time in the regular season.
CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani ranked this matchup as a Top 5 primetime Thursday night battle.
Dajani wrote:
While both franchises reside in the state of California, the Chargers and 49ers have played in the regular season just once since 2018. So Kyle Shanahan hasn't seen Justin Herbert very often. What's fun about this game is that Jim Harbaugh gets to host his former team. He went 44-19-1 during his four seasons as the head coach in San Francisco and took the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII.
Another primetime game for the Chargers is squarely in the mix for top games of the year as well.
The Bolts will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens on Monday Night Football in Week 10 in their second-ever Monday night contest against them.
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Of course, the Ravens now have former Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter at the helm, adding to the myriad of big names in the game.
It's why USA Today's Tyler Dragon ranked this as a top five game on the Monday night slate this year.
Dragon wrote:
We won't get a Harbaugh brothers showdown this year, but we will get a teacher vs. pupil matchup as Jim Harbaugh faces his former defensive coordinator, current Ravens head coach Jesse Minter, in Week 10.
Minter upgraded the Chargers to a top-five defense in 2025. The Ravens coach knows the tendencies of Justin Herbert, however, he hasn't seen the Chargers passer with Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator. Conversely, the Chargers have first-hand knowledge of Minter's defensive scheme. Both set up a fascinating showdown of gameplans.
CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles was in agreement with Dragon, also ranking this star-studded affair among the top five *Monday Night Football* games.
Pereles wrote:
We get a mentor vs. mentee here, as Jim Harbaugh faces his longtime defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter. Minter did excellent work with Harbaugh at Michigan (2022-23) and with the Chargers (2024-25) before taking over in Baltimore this offseason. Lamar Jackson is looking for a bounce-back year. Justin Herbert has a new offensive coordinator (Mike McDaniel) and hopefully a much healthier offensive line.
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