For the second year in a row, the Los Angeles Chargers were sent home from the NFL Playoffs after losing a Wild Card matchup on the road.  

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This time, Los Angeles went down to the New England Patriots in Foxborough in a game where star QB Justin Herbert was sacked six times and managed to only throw for 159 yards, as per ESPN, with the offense ultimately being held to only three points in the 16-3 defeat.

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh high fives Los Angeles Chargers punter JK Scott (16) during the second quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Harbaugh’s uplifting words

It could be easy for Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh to feel subdued following back to back disappointing postseason exits.

Instead however, he appeared to be as committed as ever to the journey as he gave some words of motivation and inspiration for his players after the loss.

“Those that stay will be champions,” Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference.  

“We will not (be) looking at this as an end, but as another beginning.”

Following the Wild Card exit, Jim Harbaugh reinforced his long-term stance on the team’s direction:

“Those that stay will be champions.”

“We’re not viewing this as an end, but as another beginning.” pic.twitter.com/xSA2eCktXJ

— ًBoltUpYo (@BoltUpYo) January 12, 2026

Harbaugh has experience of coaching a team to a championship at the college football level when he led his alma mater Michigan to the national title in 2023.

Time will tell if he turns out to be right about his Chargers side also becoming champions one day in the NFL.

In the 2012 season, Harbaugh was in charge of the San Francisco 49ers when they nearly won a Super Bowl title. However, the 49ers ultimately came up short after losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.

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