Tom Pelissero: This Could be a Make-or-Break Year for Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh

If you want a real make-or-break case in the AFC West this season, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said it is not Justin Herbert. It is the head coach.

Pelissero pivoted off a question about the Chargers' quarterback and landed on Jim Harbaugh, hard.

"I think we're much closer to a, is it make or break for Jim Harbaugh than for Justin Herbert," Pelissero said.

The argument is built on what Harbaugh was hired to be. The Chargers wrote one of the biggest checks in coaching history to bring him back to the NFL.

"You didn't shell out top money for Jim Harbaugh to come in and not have a playoff win for three years in a row," Pelissero said.

So far, they have not. Two playoff appearances. No playoff win. Pelissero called it a clear miss against Harbaugh's own standard.

"In San Francisco, he stepped in and immediately took them to the playoffs in his first year," Pelissero said. "They were in the NFC Championship game his first three years in a row. It's not up to Jim Harbaugh's standards where they've been so far."

The health caveat is fair, and Pelissero gave it space. The Chargers got destroyed by injuries last year, all the way back to training camp. Sean Slater suffered a season-ending injury. Joe Alt went down. They cycled through tackles, with Pelissero estimating roughly 30 different offensive-line combinations.

"What do you want them to do?" Pelissero said. "But if it's three straight years, you have to start asking the question."

There is also the new dynamic with offensive coordinator Mike. Pelissero described two smart football minds approaching the game from opposite schools.

"They are both different personalities, but they're not the same type of different," Pelissero said. "They see the game differently, and Jim wants to be involved in everything. Jim has opinions on a lot of different things here."

Then he walked through the division and what is staring the Chargers down. The Broncos were in the AFC Championship Game last year and, Pelissero said, could have been in the Super Bowl if Bo Nix had not been hurt. The Chiefs are coming off a down year, but Pelissero is not buying the dip as a trend.

"I have no doubt that the Chiefs are going to be back in the playoffs in 2026," Pelissero said.

The current Super Bowl odds reflect a three-team race. Chiefs at plus-170. Chargers at plus-185. Broncos at plus-210.

"If they're healthy, they should be right there with those two teams as the odds reflect," Pelissero said. "If they don't win a playoff game, if they don't advance, there's going to be a lot of disappointed people."

The disappointment that matters, in Pelissero's framing, is the coach's own.

"You made the biggest swing maybe in Chargers franchise history to go and get Jim Harbaugh, bring him back to the NFL, make yourself the biggest story in sports for a period there," Pelissero said. "Then three straight playoffs with no wins? Jim Harbaugh himself is not going to be happy about that. That to me is a lot closer to make or break than a still-20-something Justin Herbert who's got a lot of time out there ahead of him."