NFL analyst: Jim Harbaugh, Chargers face second-easiest schedule in 2024

Jim Harbaugh, who led Michigan to a national title last season, is now leading the Chargers. And the NFL might’ve eased up the pressure on his first season in LA.

On Wednesday night, the league released the schedules for every team. The Chargers schedule, at least on paper, is not as difficult compared to other teams. In fact, NFL.com ranked the LA team’s schedule as the second easiest in the NFL behind only the Falcons.

Eric Edholm, a writer for NFL.com, acknowledged that playing in the AFC West “is no picnic.” After all, the division features the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, along with the Broncos and the Raiders. The Chargers and Raiders are under new leadership, while Sean Payton is in his second season in Denver. Meanwhile, Kansas City is about as steady as you can get.

NFL.com mentioned the toughest of the Chargers schedule, with home games against the Ravens and Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Then Harbaugh’s bunch travels to Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Kansas City. There are also trips to the East Coast with the Falcons and the Patriots. But those two teams, like the Chargers, also sport new head coaches.

“The Chargers haven’t been a great road team in recent seasons,” Edholm wrote. “But this year sets up pretty darned well away from home. Outside of the contest in Kansas City, there isn’t a single away game that the Chargers shouldn’t have a good chance of winning on paper right now, even after moving on from a handful of veteran players in cost-cutting moves.”

LA opens the season against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium. Then there are consecutive road games against the Panthers (the worst team in the NFL in 2023), then the Steelers. They’ll also close the season against three teams that shouldn’t be a Murderers Row — the Broncos, Patriots and Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Chargers will play in primetime three times. There will be the much-hyped Harbaugh Bowl. That’s when Jim Harbaught plays host to big brother John Harbaugh’s Ravens. The Chargers also play the Cardinals and Chiefs on primetime. Both those are on the road. They don’t have a Thursday night game this season for the first time in seven years.

Of course, Harbaugh’s life will be a lot easier if quarterback Justin Herbert returns to form. He broke his finger on his non-throwing hand in December, an injury that capped off a so-so season for the quarterback.