Chargers' Mike McDaniel to begin calling play from the booth: Desperation move or possible fix?

No team in the NFL has fallen flatter than the Los Angeles Chargers in 2026. Coming into the campaign, the offense was expected to be supercharged with the arrival of Mike McDaniel as the new offensive coordinator. The hope was that McDaniel would elevate Justin Herbert and the rest of the unit to new heights, but the polar opposite has happened. The offense ranks at the bottom of the league, the club is 0-7 entering Week 9 and the seat under McDaniel is piping hot. 

All that has led to a shakeup in how McDaniel will call plays going forward. He told reporters on Thursday he plans to work from the coaching box as opposed to being on the sideline. 

"One of the things I talked with [Jim Harbaugh] about, one of the things that I want to try is call plays from the box to kind of see adjustments for myself and communicate to the position coaches appropriately what we can focus on between series," said McDaniel. "I'm being very open-minded with all things. Not trying to prove or justify anything that ultimately leads to underwhelming results. You do your best. You make decisions from a point of information, expertise, and integrity, and then you understand that no one is going to care unless something changes. 

"Seems like a good action to take based on how things have gone this year and realistically something that I've only brought up because of ... I'm very confident in the rest of the offensive coaching staff and how they're able to set the tone and communicate information on the sidelines. So I feel a little bit more comfortable to try that." 

The Chargers host the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium in Week 9.

Moving to the box is a last-ditch effort for McDaniel

This feels like a grasping-at-straws type of move for the Chargers and McDaniel. While seeing things from a different point of view in the coach's booth may bring a different perspective, it's hard to imagine it making a night-and-day difference. On top of their winless record, the offense has been abysmal, ranking last in the NFL in points per game and 28th in total yards per game. Moreover, the team is 30th in yards per play. 

PPG

14.1

Last

YPG

288.3

28th

Turnovers

17

Last

Coming into Week 9, Los Angeles has yet to score a touchdown in the past two games. The last time they found the end zone was back in Week 5 in the third quarter against the Broncos. Since then, they've gone 27 straight drives without a touchdown. 

As for Justin Hebert, he's regressed dramatically under McDaniel. The Chargers quarterback has thrown five touchdowns and 10 interceptions through seven games. He's particularly struggled late in games, notching six turnovers and zero total touchdowns in the fourth quarter this season. 

These feel like foundational and fundamental problems for the Chargers that a view from above in the booth won't fix, but it's a worthwhile — albeit a last-ditch — effort by McDaniel. 

Next step could be Mike McDaniel's exit 

There's only so many other moves that the Chargers can make before ultimately pulling the plug on the McDaniel tenure. If the offense continues to look lackluster in the team's Week 9 matchup against the Texans despite this move to the booth, it wouldn't be surprising if that were the straw that broke the camel's back and led to McDaniel's firing. 

This shakeup feels like an acknowledgment by the Chargers and McDaniel that the OC is on shaky ground. This is a move to see if anything changes and, if it doesn't, they make the decision that Jim Harbaugh has been reluctant to make up to this point. 

After all, the Texans' defense hasn't been as lethal as it was a year ago, allowing three 30-point games so far this season after allowing just one in 2025. They also have allowed three 300-yard passers to this point in the season after allowing none last year. 

If the Chargers make the Texans look more like the 2025 version of themselves, it'll only be further ammunition to move on from McDaniel, particularly as the Chargers will have extended time before they kick off Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens next Monday night. 

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