Can Chris O'Leary MIMIC Jesse Minter's Success? & More Chargers Questions for 2026

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The glass-half-full fan of the Los Angeles Chargers says, "Hey, we've made the playoffs the last two seasons." The glass-half-empty Chargers fan retorts, "Sure, but we lost in the first round both seasons by a combined score of 48-15." The glass-half-full fan says, "Mike McDaniel is here to finally give Justin Herbert the offense he needs to establish himself as a no-doubt star." The glass-half-empty fan says, "Um, did you notice Jesse Minter, architect of our defense, is gone?" It's hard to believe these fans root for the same team, but they do. And they both have valid points to make. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into those points as they preview the 2026 Chargers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show
Offseason in 60 seconds
How dare you leave out Brenen Thompson?
What are you most excited about?
Mike McDaniel's offense
"Horrible, horrible things"
What are you watching closely in the first month?
Chris O'Leary's defense
What's keeping you up at night?
Offensive line health
What's a successful season?

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