NFL schedule favors early-season run for Los Angeles Chargers in 2024

Travis Wakeman

NFL schedule favors early-season run for Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 image

The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off of a disastrous 2023 season and as a result, they are a team that people will want to see something from before they start taking them seriously.

But Chargers fans know this is not your typical team coming off a 5-12 season. Justin Herbert is the quarterback and Jim Harbaugh is the new head coach, so a quick turnaround is not only possible, it may be expected. 

Looking at the 2024 NFL schedule, things line up favorably for these Chargers. Taking into consideration the first eight weeks of the season only, look at how things line up:

Week 1 vs. Las Vegas
Week 2 at Carolina
Week 3 at Pittsburgh
Week 4 vs. Kansas City
Week 5 BYE
Week 6 at Denver
Week 7 at Arizona
Week 8 vs. New Orleans

 

The Week 4 battle with Kansas City will be tough but every other game on that list should be considered winnable. The early bye week has a chance to come at a perfect time for the team as well. 

If the game against Kansas City results in a loss, Harbaugh will have a chance to get an extra week to prepare his troops for games against the Broncos, Cardinals, and Saints. The team could be sitting pretty through eight weeks, particularly if they get off to a 3-0 start before that Chiefs game. 

According to Pro Football Network, the Chargers have the second-easiest schedule in the entire league. The first eight weeks will be key to how far this team will go in Harbaugh's first season strolling the sidelines. 

Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman Photo

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.