Why Mike McDaniel is Chargers Biggest X Factor in 2026

Sep 09, 2026 at 10:53 AM

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Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!

We'll run a Mailbag each week during the regular season. Send in submissions for the Mailbag on Twitter @EricLSmith or by email at eric.smith@chargers.nfl.com.

Off we go...

It seems like the vibes are high with the Chargers right now. Who's the biggest X factor and what are you most excited about for the 2026 season? (Christian via email)

Happy Week 1 to those who celebrate!

(Which is probably you if you're reading this Mailbag).

But yes, Week 1 is here and the vibes are certainly high with the Bolts right now.

And the largest reason for that, to put int simply, is the offseason hire of Mike McDaniel, who clearly counts as the biggest X factor here.

The move received rave reviews way back in January when it was announced, and that momentum has carried over throughout the entire offseason.

And with Week 1 on the horizon, everybody can't wait to see what the Chargers offense looks like in 2026.

Here is what Chargers quarterbacks coach Shane Day told me last week.

"Our enthusiasm is the enthusiasm of the entire building right now," Day said. "We all think it's going to be something super special. I really can't wait to start the season.

"We've been working for a long time on this and we've seen it in practice, but now we want to go see it on Sundays. I feel like the sky is the limit for us," Day added.

That's high praise from someone who knows Justin Herbert well from their previous four seasons together.

And someone who also previously coached with McDaniel in San Francisco.

To put it bluntly, it wouldn't surprise me if the Bolts put together a top-five offense this season.

Granted, there are certainly other storylines worth monitoring this season, namely Chris O'Leary's transition as the Chargers Defensive Coordinator.

But in my mind, great offense are what drive teams to playoff success.

The Chargers, from players to coaches, have spoke openly this offseason that the time is now for postseason success with this organization.

I believe McDaniel's offense, with Herbert and Omarion Hampton leading the way, can be exceptional in 2026.

With Denzel Perryman out, do you think we see more Marlowe Wax? If so, what's your thoughts on his rotation? (Daryl via Twitter)

There's no doubt Marlowe Wax is one of the most improved players on the Chargers entire roster right now.

He came in as an undrafted free agent last summer and turned into a special teams ace as a rookie while also flashing in the Week 18 game against Denver.

Wax then popped off defensively in the preseason by making play after play in all three exhibition games.

With Denzel Perryman on Injured Reserve (Designated to Return), that means the veteran must miss at least the first four games of the 2026 season.

Will Wax get some playing time? We'll see. The Bolts likely won't tip their hand there.

But the Chargers have three strong options to play next to Daiyan Henley in Del'Shawn Phillips, Troy Dye and Wax.

"I feel like we're really good there," Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said last week. "Del'Shawn has been really super ascending.

"Del'Shawn, Troy, ton of confidence in them and Marlowe ... we feel like we got a good, deep group there," Hortiz added.

For what it's worth, Phillips was listed as the starter on the Chargers unofficial depth chart that came out Tuesday.

I really don't think the Chargers can go wrong with who they end up starting next to Henley.

Dye filled that role admirably in 2025 while Phillips has earned some defensive snaps with how well he played on special teams last season. And the same could be said about Wax.

This is a good problem for O'Leary and the Chargers to have at the linebacker spot.

Not to be negative, but what happens if either of our OTs goes out for an extended period of time? Hopefully McDaniel could make something work but I feel like we'd be back to square one. (Joseph via Twitter)

First off, Joseph, nobody can blame you for having at least one negative thought after how last year unfolded along the offensive line.

But that was then, and Hortiz and his staff — along with the coaching staff — have ensured that the Bolts are much deeper and more talented up front.

The goal, of course, is for Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt to play the entire season and resume their spot as the best tackle duo in the league.

But if something were to happen to either player (knock on wood), then the Chargers have multiple options behind them.

The first might be rookie Travis Burke, who showed immense potential in the preseason after he was a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Trey Pipkins III is also a veteran option at tackle while Branson Taylor can also play there once he comes off IR.

And the Chargers have a pair of sixth-round rookies in Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey who could also fill in if needed.

That's five players who would be solid (if not strong) options and would represent a massive upgrade from a year ago.

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Happy season to you! I wanted to hear your thoughts on the D line. I think they're an under appreciated group this year. We got some solid depth pieces. Second, do you think we will be adding to the secondary? We signed Kaiir Elam, but we'll have to see how he turns out. (Eric via Twitter)

The Bolts defensive line might be the most underrated position group on the entire team.

Teair Tart earned his multi-year contract extension, but he probably isn't viewed nationally as an elite player at his position even though he should be.

Jamaree Caldwell, meanwhile, has been a third-round steal and Dalvin Tomlinson is going to provide consistent veteran play against the run.

I expect a big season from Justin Eboigbe, who could flirt with double-digit sacks as the down linemen in passing situations. And Nick Barrett seems to be cut from the same cloth as Caldwell in that he should make an impact as a rookie.

Plus, Mike Elston might be the best position coach on the Chargers coaching staff, and that's saying a lot given the other coaches in the building.

That unit didn't get much fanfare the past two seasons but were a big reason why the Bolts had a top-10 defense. Look for the same results in 2026.

I don't think there are any secondary additions right now, primarily because Nikko Reed is on the practice squad and can step in for any game if needed.

With the new rules allowing the head coach to designate a staff member to throw the red challenge flag, do you think Coach Harbaugh will continue to do it or will he delegate it to someone else? Happy first game week! (Laoise via Twitter)

A great question, and one we actually don't have an answer for just yet.

While myself and other reporters are surely aware of the new rule, nobody has asked Coach Harbaugh if he will keep throwing the challenge flag or hand that responsibility off to someone else.

Now that the offense is playing at game speed, I'm expecting to see some sync & timing issues with the offense. I'm hoping they figure it out during the first game. What are your thoughts on this? (MK via Twitter)

I'm hopeful that's not the case.

There were certainly moments this offseason — whether in training camp practice or the preseason — where the Bolts offense as a whole was a tick off.

That could have been timing issues in the pass game, missed blocking assignments or pre-snap penalties.

But the Chargers have been drilling all of those aspects the past two weeks at practice and should be fairly crisp in Week 1.

Will it be perfect? Of course not.

But there's good reason to believe that the Bolts offense looks ready to go Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.