Could The Los Angeles Chargers Finally Be Super Bowl Contenders?

The Los Angeles Chargers might have moved cities, but they're forever haunted by the history of the Chargers organization. Zero Super Bowl wins, only two appearances and a series of remarkable, almost indescribable postseason failures. 

After hiring Jim Harbaugh ahead of the 2024 season, expectations were high that LA could turn things around. And in the regular season, it worked. LA went 11-6, finishing second in the AFC West and returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 season. Except the Chargers promptly got blown out by the Houston Texans 32-12. 

That though, was much better than the result in the 2022-2023 playoffs, when the Chargers blew a 27-point lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars and lost 31-30. Then there's 2006-2007, when the then-San Diego Chargers went 14-2, only to lose 24-21 after fumbling during an unnecessary interception return when falling to the ground would have made a Patriots comeback much more difficult. Followed by a missed 54-yard field goal to tie at the end of regulation.

That's the Chargers history. But are they in position to right those historic wrongs in 2025? 

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert runs the ball  during the second half of an NFL game between Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at Corinthians Arena on September 6, 2025 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Leandro Bernardes/PxImages)

Chargers Have Had An Impressive Start To 2025

The Chargers have already done something they've repeatedly struggled to do in years past: beat the Kansas City Chiefs. In a season-opening win in Sao Paulo, LA outplayed their division rival on their way to a 27-21 win. 

Then they came back to the states and handily outplayed another division rival in the Las Vegas Raiders. Vegas averaged just 3.4 yards per play, as LA's defense hurried Geno Smith into throwing three interceptions. Add in improved play from quarterback Justin Herbert, that suffocating defense, a new coaching staff presumably much less prone to blowing big leads in spectacular fashion, and the ever-present Harbaugh running game, and through the first two weeks, you have one of the NFL's best teams.

For example, advanced metrics ranking system DVOA, has the Chargers as the third-best team in the league thus far, behind the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams. 

Their offense ranks eighth overall, while that impressive defense ranks fourth. That's the makings of a top-5 team, one that can make a deep postseason run. It's early, and it is still the Chargers. But in year two of the Harbaugh era, it seems like LA's made significant strides already. If the Chargers can hold off a suddenly shaky Chiefs, this might finally be the year for those remaining San Diego fans, and the dozens of locals who've adopted the franchise in LA.