Why The Athletic's Robert Mays Believes Chargers Among NFL's Most Intriguing Teams in 2026

Aug 03, 2026 at 07:00 AM

Omar Navarro

Jr. Writer

The Chargers head into 2026 as one of the most interesting teams in the NFL.

Just how intriguing are they around the league?

The Athletic's Robert Mays slots them as high as they could be.

"They're at, or near, the top [of the NFL]," Mays told Chargers.com

The national analyst, and host of "The Athletic Football Show," stopped by the first week of Chargers Training Camp with his eyes on a team he believes is one of the top storylines in the league.

After back-to-back playoff berths, the Bolts would be one of the top teams to watch regardless entering Year 3 of Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.

But you add an offensive coordinator like Mike McDaniel in the mix with a quarterback like Justin Herbert, and the excitement grows exponentially says Mays.

"It's been such an object of fascination for people that pay attention to the league, and for good reason," Mays said. "What Mike has done in Miami and how unique the offense was, how exciting the offense was, how dynamic the offense was.

"Now you kind of bring the ideas and that mentality and ability to maximize your players to a place where there's a really talented quarterback and there's a lot of intriguing pieces," Mays added. "I think it's hard not to get excited about it and part, at least, not be interested in."

McDaniel's track record has been well-talked about throughout the offseason, bringing to Los Angeles some of the most explosive offenses in the NFL over the last four seasons.

Mays didn't sugarcoat what McDaniel had the chance to do now with the Chargers offense.

It has the potential to stand at the top of the NFL.

"I think the ceiling of the offense is at near the top of the league," Mays said. "A Top 5 offense if things break right."

Health is a factor, detailed Mays, but a revamped offensive line could pay huge dividends in addition to the playcaller.

There's a lot left up in the air about how exactly the offense will look like, and it won't be answered until the season begins, but all arrows point upwards — an exciting potential.

"I think the ceiling on it is very, very high despite how much we don't know," Mays said. "I think that's what holds it back, there's just so much we don't know and it's all a projection at this point.

"But I think with it, it's hard not to imagine the high-end outcomes when you're looking at what this group is capable of," Mays added.

On the flip side, the defense was something that also caught Mays' eye, as he is excited to see how the unit plays out once the season rolls along.

The personnel remains similar under Chargers Defensive Coordinator Chris O’Leary, with Mays pointing to Daiyan Henley, Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart as players who will have big hands in the unit's success.

Even with this similar group, however, the analyst has one big question on his mind that he will be watching for when the season kicks off.

"The thing I'm most interested in is it's the same foundation defensively when it comes to who they want to be, what they want to do," Mays said. "But every defense is an expression of their coordinator in some way, everyone is going to call it differently, everyone's flavor is going to be a little bit different.

"What is Chris O'Leary's flavor of this defense?" Mays asked.