The Chargers also have a Thursday Night Football game slated for Week 8 against the Vikings, the first time both teams have met in that time slot.

And all eyes will be on Harbaugh, Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter and other former Michigan staff going against their former Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan has the matchup between the former members of the 2023 National Championship team as his No. 1 Thursday Night Football game of the year.

This had to be the top game, right? First and foremost, it’s a matchup between Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Not too long ago, that coach-quarterback duo was on the same sideline, taking the college football world by storm and leading Michigan to a College Football Playoff National Championship. Now, they’re adversaries, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter (who was the DC at Michigan with Harbaugh and McCarthy) plan to attack the young quarterback. Outside of that subplot, this is simply a great matchup of two young teams. Minnesota boasts superstars on both sides of the ball, headlined by wideout Justin Jefferson. Meanwhile, the Chargers have Justin Herbert under center in an offense that features 2024 breakout star Ladd McConkey and first-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton. I’m expecting plenty of fireworks here.

But perhaps the most eye-drawing game on the Bolts schedule is their final primetime game.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper circled the Chargers hosting the Super Bowl Champion Eagles in Week 14 on Monday Night Football as his must-watch game of the team’s schedule, as it will be a big litmus test for a variety of reasons.

The Chargers have often talked about being a physically dominant team, particularly in the trenches. They showed flashes of that philosophy in Harbaugh’s first season, but they never fully realized the vision. Most notably on offense, they struggled to run the ball consistently, and they were manhandled up front in a playoff loss to the Houston Texans. The Eagles are a physically dominant team on both sides of the trenches. This will be the ultimate test for the Chargers. How much closer are they really to playing in Harbaugh’s image?

Be sure to check out our full analysis of the Chargers schedule and also take a look at Chargers single-game tickets.