The Los Angeles Chargers and their fans have a rare sense of optimism and even excitement after the team hired Jim Harbaugh to be the new head coach on Wednesday.

Now, the organization can turn its focus to finalizing his staff and making roster moves in order to return to the playoffs next season.

The Chargers don’t exactly have a bad roster, as they have one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in Justin Herbert, a Pro Bowl wide receiver in Keenan Allen, and two defensive studs in pass rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.

However, Nick Wright gave everyone a reality check on FS1’s “First Things First” when he said the team won’t be able to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

“The Chargers are not competing with the Chiefs,” he said.

Is @getnickwright worried about the Chargers now that Jim Harbaugh is their head coach?

"The Chargers are not competing with the Chiefs." pic.twitter.com/MzHtURQCq2

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) January 25, 2024

Los Angeles has a very good starting point with Harbaugh and the four aforementioned players, as well as the No. 5 pick in the upcoming draft, which should yield them a very good, if not a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

However, they have lots of work to do if they want to do more than merely make the playoffs.

They won just five games this season and had many issues on defense and with their running game, and their talented dual-threat running back Austin Ekeler is set to become a free agent.

Ekeler will be 29 years of age when next season starts, and therefore it is anyone’s guess whether the Chargers will even want to pay him to keep him in the fold.

The Chiefs, of course, will be playing in their sixth straight AFC Championship Game this weekend when they visit the Baltimore Ravens.

Los Angeles hasn’t reached the AFC title game since the 2007 season and has gotten there only twice in the last 40 years, but at least now they have some credibility thanks to their new head coach.

The post Nick Wright Says Chargers Still Won’t Compete With 1 AFC West Team appeared first on The Cold Wire.