Where Are the Chargers in Early 2026 Offseason Power Rankings?

Feb 11, 2026 at 09:22 AM

Omar Navarro

Jr. Writer

The 2026 NFL offseason is here.

With the 2025 season officially in the books, the focus now turns to the offseason events such as the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.

NFL analysts and publications have released their power rankings. Take a look at where the Bolts are ranked as they enter the offseason.

No. 5: Frank Schwab – Yahoo Sports

The Chargers are in a great spot. They won 11 games despite losing two stellar offensive tackles. You can't assume Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater won't be lessened by their season-ending injuries, but if they return near their normal level, Los Angeles could have an elite roster. Losing defensive coordinator Jesse Minter hurts, but adding Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator should be a plus for Justin Herbert. The Chargers also have the fourth-most projected cap space in the NFL. This could be the season the Chargers break through.

No. 8: Nate Davis – USA Today

What is this team capable of with two All-Pro-caliber offensive tackles, a healthy running back room and Mike McDaniel taking charge of QB Justin Herbert and the offense? Can't wait to see.

No. 9: Ralph Vacchiano – FOX Sports

They have all the pieces in place to be a contender except one: the offensive line. If they can fix that, and stay healthy, and keep QB Justin Herbert in one piece, there's no reason they won't be a top team in the AFC.

1 / 25

Sliding to a W - The Chargers kicked off the regular season in São Paulo, Brazil and as most games against the Chiefs go, this one came down to the wire. On a crucial third down, Justin Herbert ran down the sideline, got the first down and punctuated it with a slide home to ice the game with the extra flair. It felt like he was looking right down the barrel of the lens as he secured the win.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

2 / 25

Seatbelt - The Bolts defense put on a show in primetime at Allegiant Stadium with three interceptions on the night. After shutting the Raiders out of the endzone once again with a pass breakup that led to an interception, Derwin James, Jr. came strutting off the field, dropped his helmet and then hit the 'Seatbelt' celebration before Coach Jim Harbaugh came over and high-fived him. Shooting it wide really gives a chance to show the Chargers fans celebrating and taking over the Raiders house.

Joaquin Torre/Los Angeles Chargers

3 / 25

Flu Game - Another from Week 2 in Las Vegas, this one a storytelling image of a warrior that gave it his all. Daiyan Henley was feeling terrible and had doubts whether he would play with a bad illness. The result? A team-leading 10 tackles, a sack, an interception, two tackles for loss and two passes defensed. In the locker room huddle, he was clearly spent after leaving it all on the field. I got done shooting Derwin going around congratulating everyone and was exiting the back of the locker room to the hallway where we set up our gear at the stadium. I look to my left and see Daiyan flat on his back.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

4 / 25

Full Extension - Another highlight play against a division foe, this one from an elevated angle on level 8 at SoFi Stadium. We usually stay in front of the offense, but shooting the reverse angle got Quentin Johnston's face as he snagged it over the outstretched arm of Riley Moss to get the Chargers near the goal line. Shooting from elevation always gives a unique look to a play.

Katie Albertson/Los Angeles Chargers

5 / 25

Pinpoint Accuracy - The Justin Herbert-Keenan Allen connection was alive and well from the start. For as good as the catch from Allen was, the veteran receiver said watching the replay back, "He really didn't do nothing." Herbert simply put the ball only where he could get it, all while evading pressure and rolling to his left for the highlight throw. This was shot from the ADA section of the 100 level seats in the northwest corner of SoFi Stadium, a clear look at the perfect ball placement.

Noel Vasquez/Los Angeles Chargers

6 / 25

Moment of Reflection - A quiet moment for Donte Jackson ahead of Week 6 against the Dolphins. The visiting locker room in Miami is the one the Hurricanes use for their games, but the staff there has an LED sign for every NFL team to put up when they're using it and make it feel like home. Jackson takes some time to himself before padded warmups every game and this Sunday just happened to sit right under the bolt for his moment of reflection.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

7 / 25

High Impact - It was an emerging year for Justin Eboigbe in Year 2 after playing just over 50 total snaps as a rookie. He made his presence felt not only on the defensive line but on special teams, as seen in this one. On kickoff coverage in the first quarter against the Dolphins, Eboigbe hit the returner so hard his mouthpiece flew out and I caught it in that split second. It was one of three special teams tackles he had on the day.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

8 / 25

Letting the Emotion Flow - You're always looking for emotion in photos, and this one is a great example of why. After continuing the play and making himself available, Herbert found Ladd McConkey for the touchdown and the lead in the second half. McConkey, scoring his second score of the year at that point, was fired up and came right to the corner of the endzone, as the photo was framed up perfectly with the lens.

Joey Hortiz/Los Angeles Chargers

9 / 25

Primetime Group Photo - After RJ Mickens grabbed the first interception of his career in Week 8 against the Vikings, Daiyan Henley knew where to take him. Henley found Mickens following the play and pointed him towards the endzone, where I was standing and waving at them. We always have someone stationed in the endzone for these celebration photos, and waited until the whole squad got there. I took a couple tight also but liked this wide one best cause it showed the 'INTERCEPTION' graphic on the infinity screen, something you can only get at SoFi.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

10 / 25

All in the Details - This close up shot came right before the Chargers kicked off in Week 9 against Tennessee. It was a quiet moment during the anthem as the players lined up on the sideline. This detail shot shows the cross on RJ's eye black, plus his hair.

Joaquin Torre/Los Angeles Chargers

11 / 25

A Powerful Moment - Another one from Nashville, this one an impactful moment as Henley was playing just hours after finding out his brother had passed away. He made his way into the backfield and grabbed Cam Ward for the sack, then dropping to his knees in prayer. A powerful moment on an emotional day.

Jared Thomas/Los Angeles Chargers

12 / 25

In Focus - This was shot as the defensive backs were coming out of the locker room to huddle up before padded warmups ahead of Sunday Night Football against the Steelers. The slow shutter effect with the camera's shutter set to 1/10th of a second, creates the blurred lines and then popping the flash freezes the subject. It's something we shoot almost every game, so we just try to find a different way to capture it.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

13 / 25

Bringing the Juice - It's not the typical Derwin pregame huddle shot with the full team, but during the defensive back huddle. The low angle gives a unique perspective as he looks down and pounds the football, bringing the energy. It gives you a sense of being in the middle of the action and shows the unique roof at SoFi as well.

Joaquin Torre/Los Angeles Chargers

14 / 25

Eyes on the Ball - Donte Jackson spent 2025 making plays on the ball, and Week 13 against the Raiders was no different. Following an interception in the endzone, Geno Smith threw a ball towards the sideline that Jackson was able to deflect into the air, giving Tony Jefferson just enough time to get under it and secure the interception. The photo catches the exact moment both players had a shot at the ball and shows the concentration on both their faces. It's the kind of thing you don't always see on TV, and is unique to photo.

Cassandra Serrano/Los Angeles Chargers

15 / 25

An Isolated Walk - A very unique situation that's reserved only for overtime. Usually for a pregame coin toss the Chargers have six captains and they're walking alongside referees and a lot of different cameras. For the overtime toss, it was just Justin Herbert and Derwin James, the leaders of the offense and defense, walking to meet the Eagles captains. As the clock was winding down in regulation, I hustled over from the endzone to follow these two out.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

16 / 25

Putting it on the Line - Broken hand? No problem. Playing just a week after suffering a broken bone in his left hand, Herbert put it all out there in the overtime win on Monday Night. Hand and all, the quarterback led the team in rushing on primetime, including this 12-yard run to open overtime where he used the left hand to stiff arm Reed Blankenship for the first down on the go-ahead drive. Maybe it was instinct, but Herbert is willing to do anything for the win.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

17 / 25

Sending them Home - The Monday Night Football game against the Eagles brought a lot of memorable moments, but the one that ended the game might take the cake. Cam Hart's full extension pass breakup led to Tony Jefferson's game-ending interception in overtime, as the safety ran all the way across the field to celebrate. He even found some Eagles fans when he got to the corner, telling them to go home. You can see how laser-focused he was with the intensity on the veteran's face as his teammates around him are overjoyed.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

18 / 25

The Emotions of Victory - One more from Week 14 courtesy of our remote camera on Level 3 at the 50-yard line at SoFi. Remotes allow us to get multiple angles of the same moment, and this is happening at the exact same time as the photo above. When it became apparent that Jefferson was going to celebrate towards me, I put the remote camera trigger on my short lens camera so the remote would fire any time I hit the shutter button. It's a cool moment that shows all the emotions of the ending — fans celebrating, others in disbelief and the 'Chargers Win' graphic on the Infinity Screen.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

19 / 25

Derwin vs. Kelce- Derwin James against Travis Kelce has been a staple of the AFC West bout for years, with the latest incarnation coming on a play to seal a win for the Bolts, as James ran stride for stride with the tight end to grab the interception. With the game in the balance, I moved around the bench to shoot the defense tighter, and the pass came directly in line for the perfect shot. A lot of times in this situation, positioning is as important as anything.

Joey Hortiz/Los Angeles Chargers

20 / 25

A High-Five For the Postseason - There were a lot of chances for fun locker room shots this season with another year of 11 wins, but this was probably my favorite. It's become a tradition under Harbaugh for everyone to high five after a victory and after win No. 11 against the Cowboys essentially put them in the playoffs for a second-straight year, Daiyan Henley encapsulated the feeling in the room with pure joy finding Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter for the high-five.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

21 / 25

A Special Bond - The specialists, Cameron Dicker, JK Scott and Josh Harris, always huddle up for a prayer before going out on the field. This photo shows the brotherhood of the position group that's been together for a number of seasons now ahead of the game against Houston. A lot of times, it feels like you're invading their personal space in shots like these but it can make impactful images.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

22 / 25

Center of the Blur - Keeping it with the pregame shots ahead of the regular season home finale in Week 17. I'm always assigned to shoot the player intros from Level 2 and find different, unique ways to capture the moment. Here, it's shot at 1/6 of a second with a 10-stop neutral density filter on and panned as the exact speed Elijah Molden was running out. With the focus point on him, he stays in focus while the rest of the scene blurs out.

Noel Vasquez/Los Angeles Chargers

23 / 25

Blending Colors - Khalil Mack runs out last in home games where the defense is introduced, so as others were running out, I moved to the back of the tunnel where he was shrouded in the smoke that is pumped out for the intros. The pulsing light tubes had lit up gold against the team's Navy Super Chargers uniforms, and the fan in the background has the team's primary powder blue, making a good color contrast.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

24 / 25

Under the Elements - The Bolts closed out 2025 with a rainy practice on New Year's Eve, an uncommon sight in Southern California. They had practiced at SoFi Stadium days before because of the rain but stayed outdoors for this one. As Donte Jackson tilts his head down, you can see every bead on his helmet, including the one dripping off the facemask at that exact moment.

Cassandra Serrano/Los Angeles Chargers

25 / 25

Sticking Together - From Canton, Ohio to Brazil and all the way to Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Bolts experienced a lot as they traveled the most miles traveled in the NFL heading into the playoffs. And at every stop, Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert, Derwin James and Daiyan Henley always stood alongside one another during the National Anthem. It was no different as they prepared for their second-straight year in the postseason.

Ty Nowell/Los Angeles Chargers

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Chargers and Daiyan Henley Bring Flag Football to Greece

The Los Angeles Chargers brought flag football to Greece, hosting their first Flag Football Camps and Exhibition Games on Thursday, Feb. 5 and Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. The two-day initiative began at Anatolia College in Northern Greece before continuing in Athens at Deree – The American College of Greece, where students learned and experienced the fast-growing, non-contact version of American football alongside Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley.

In addition to the on-field action, Henley explored Athens, touring historic landmarks including the Acropolis and a local museum, as the Chargers delivered an unforgettable NFL-inspired experience blending sport, education, and culture ahead of flag football's Olympic debut at the LA 2028 Games.