The San Francisco 49ers are off to a hot 4-0 start this season. They’re one of only three teams in the NFL that's undefeated, but on the flip side of things, Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers are 0-4 to start things off.
It feels like yesterday when some Niners fans on social media were pulling their hair out over the fact the Chargers looked way better than the Niners in their joint practice during the preseason.
What a difference a month and a half can make.
The Chargers have just looked bad so far this season, losing to teams many thought they’d beat on paper, like the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders (although Vegas actually looks legit). The Bolts lost to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday after mounting a bit of a comeback that came up short, but naturally, there were questions about job security. Not only for Harbaugh, but for his offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel.
Jim Harbaugh gave the oddest Mike McDaniel defense
Harbaugh, formerly the 49ers head coach, defended McDaniel, formerly San Francisco's offensive coordinator, after Sunday’s loss. But Harbaugh did it in typically odd Harbaugh fashion.
When asked if McDaniel’s job was in jeopardy, he said, “Uh, like our players and we have skilled coaches and we’re going to keep growing that’s…”
He trailed off seemingly to signal he was done answering the question, and then right as a follow up was asked he went, “No, no, no. His job is not in jeopardy. He’s a skilled coach and we’re going to keep growing.”
After starting the season 0-4, Jim Harbaugh had this to say about offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel pic.twitter.com/lvz8Y33Hty
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 5, 2026
Maybe Harbaugh was just annoyed at the question and felt it didn’t deserve a straight answer, or maybe it took a second for him to register what was asked. But it was a bit of an odd way to defend his offensive coordinator. It’s almost like he answered the question backwards like he’s Yoda or something.
If he had begun with the forceful “No” response and followed it up with everything else, no one would have batted an eye. But it was strange to say the least, even by Harbaugh’s standards.
If things get worse for Chargers, Mike McDaniel may be gone
Yet, the fact these questions are already being asked, and the fact the Chargers schedule doesn’t get much easier going forward, suggests that if the losses do pile up, McDaniel's hot seat is only going to grow hotter and hotter.
If McDaniel does get let go at some point this season, maybe the 49ers can reunite with him. They may be the only place willing to take him in after he flamed out in Miami with the Dolphins, and if he were to get axed by the Chargers before completing his first season, not many teams would be interested in bringing him aboard.
He wouldn’t become offensive coordinator or anything like that for San Francisco, but if he could be some sort of assistant coach, perhaps he could help Kyle Shanahan scheme up some run plays like they did together back in the day.
Something to watch for may be whether McDaniel even makes it as offensive coordinator until Week 15 when the Chargers and Niners are set to meet on Thursday Night Football.
How funny would it be if McDaniel was fired by that point and had already rejoined San Francisco?
That’s far away, and maybe the Chargers will turn things around by then. But this brutal start does not bode well for McDaniel’s job security, so a return to San Francisco could theoretically be in his future.
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