The Chargers had a busy offseason by signing a plethora of free agents before adding eight more players in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But which newcomer within the organization is the most important heading into the regular season?
That was the question recently posed by The Athletic, with Chargers writer Daniel Popper opting to go with a new coach for his answer.
Popper tabbed Mike McDaniel as the most intriguing fresh face, noting the new Chargers Offensive Coordinator will be tasked with helping elevate Justin Herbert's overall game in 2026.
Popper wrote:
Despite entering free agency among the league leaders in cap space, the Chargers did not make a big splash this offseason. The decisive move, in their eyes, was hiring McDaniel to replace Greg Roman as Jim Harbaugh's offensive play caller. More than anything, McDaniel is in Los Angeles to get the most out of Justin Herbert in the biggest moments. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs in his career, including first-round clunkers in each of the past two seasons. How McDaniel fares will tell the story of this Chargers season.
McDaniel spent the past four seasons as the Dolphins Head Coach, compiling a 35-33 record that included an 11-win campaign in 2023.
He also led Miami back-to-back playoff appearances, something the franchise had not experienced in over 20 years.
McDaniel was the 49ers Offensive Coordinator in 2021 after spending the previous three seasons as the team's Run Game Coordinator.
Over those four years, the 49ers racked up the sixth-most rushing yards (8,538), were tied for seventh with 237 total explosive rushes of 10-plus yards and had the ninth-most rushing touchdowns (71).
McDaniel's passion for the ground game mirrors that of Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.
"He likes to run the ball and I am, by trade, I spent a good portion of my career being in charge of the run game and being the run game coordinator," McDaniel said earlier this offseason. "I think you're always playing to your skillsets and each team that you're on has a different array of them.
"I think some of my run game prowess in the past has been different solutions for light boxes when you're adept to pass, to run the ball," McDaniel added. "That core foundational belief that football is inside out, prioritizing the line of scrimmage play and being able to win games when you have a lead with nine minutes to go in the game and you can keep the defense off the field. I think those types of things, that's where the like-minded football 101, core values of football kind of overlap."
But, as Popper alluded to, the big focus with McDaniel will be how he helps Herbert take his game to new heights in 2026.
The quarterback already had a tweaked offseason as he focused on his footwork in the shotgun formation and took fewer throwing reps than in previous years.
The mission now will be for Herbert to thrive during the 2026 season, with the end goal being postseason success for all involved.
"[We want] to have the strongest version of himself down the stretch of the season in December and January," McDaniel said.
