The Los Angeles Chargers offense is getting a ton of hype after the marquee addition of Mike McDaniel, the offensive wizard, but the defense is also getting a new playcaller, who impressed in the first game of the preseason.
The Chargers lost Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens, who took the head-coaching opening after John Harbaugh was fired.
Minter was highly regarded for years as a defensive mind, and in the modern NFL, where defense is making a comeback as the more important side of the ball, he was seen as one of the top head-coaching candidates.
Over the last few years, Minter got a lot out of a group of defensive players who outperformed expectations.
Jun 17, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary at press conference during minicamp at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
After losing someone who did such a good job as a playcaller, the Chargers had their backs against the wall to a certain extent.
However, they ended up hiring Chris O’Leary, a defensive coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff who went on to be a defensive coordinator in college and is now returning to Harbaugh with real play-calling experience.
On Thursday, O’Leary made his NFL play-calling debut, and the reviews were very positive.
According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, the scheme O’Leary will deploy has elements of Minter’s defense with a few new twists.
“New defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary had a tremendous showing in his first NFL game as a play caller. The Chargers gave up some yardage on the ground, but their pass defense was excellent against a pretty established backup in Davis Mills,” Popper wrote.
“The Texans totaled just 105 passing yards. They averaged 4.8 yards per attempt. This was the DNA of Jesse Minter’s Chargers defenses. Playing with fewer bodies in the box creates some disadvantageous looks in run defense, but it lets the defense play suffocating coverage. O’Leary’s unit executed the vision effectively in Houston.
“This defense will not be exactly the same, however. We wondered through the offseason what dials O’Leary might twist one way or the other to put his own stamp on the scheme. We got an initial answer Thursday night: O’Leary turned up the heat with his blitzes.”
May 11, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary during offseason workouts at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
If the Chargers defense can maintain a solid baseline relative to their last few years, with a new supercharged offense, things will be looking up for the Chargers.