EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. -- The Chargers' new leadership was bold and brash from the moment they took over the franchise last February.
Coach Jim Harbaugh -- fresh off a national championship as the head coach at Michigan -- said the Chargers would win "multiple championships." General manager Joe Hortiz doubled down on that, telling reporters he planned to add to his two rings after working two decades in the Baltimore Ravens personnel department.
The Chargers had won just five games last season. Still, Harbaugh and Hortiz talked about players like quarterback Justin Herbert, safety Derwin James Jr. and outside linebacker Khalil Mack as reasons why they could turn L.A. around quickly.
They were right. In year one, the Chargers added six wins, finishing 11-6, their highest win total since 2018. Still, their season ended in embarrassing fashion -- an all-too-familiar spot for any Charger fan. L.A. was trounced 32-12 by the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs. Herbert, the NFL's best decision-maker from Weeks 1-18, had the worst game of his career, which included four interceptions.
Still, Hortiz and Harbaugh say they are on the right track heading into the 2025 season.
"We didn't achieve ultimate success that's reserved for the world champion. There's an after-game, after-loss mood that I feel, but so much good, so much good to build on," Harbaugh said. "That creates a lot of excitement for me and Joe as we build version 2.0."
The road to building Chargers 2.0 appears much more straightforward than last season. Back then, the Chargers had perhaps the league's worst salary cap citation -- $50 million above the salary cap -- when Hortiz and Harbaugh took the job. In their first weeks, they chose to trade wide receiver Keenan Allen and release wide receiver Mike Williams, and they agreed to reduced contracts with edge rushers Joey Bosa and Mack.
Still, Hortiz signed multiple high-impact players on one-year deals that helped the Chargers back to the playoffs in year one, including safety Elijah Molden, center Bradley Bozeman, and defensive tackles Poona Ford and Teair Tart.
Hortiz said the Chargers will look to re-sign those players but will also take advantage of compensatory picks if they sign elsewhere. Compensatory picks are awarded when a team has lost more or better players in free agency than it acquires; the formula is based on salary, playing time, and postseason honors.
"I think the goal is to gain comp picks every year," Hortiz said. "That is the goal, but the reality of it's some years you may not be able to do that."
So far, Hortiz has used his draft selections almost to perfection. Rookie tackle Joe Alt, wide receiver Ladd McConkey, linebacker Junior Colson, and cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still all playing significant roles in 2024. McConkey had the best rookie season by a wide receiver in Chargers franchise history.
This offseason, Hortiz will have more cap flexibility. The Chargers are projected to have the second-most salary cap space in the NFL ($91,020,030), allowing Hortiz to take big swings for top players and retain some of the Chargers' own.
"I think you look at it from a responsible way like we did last year," Hortiz said. "Yes, we had less money to spend, but we're responsible for our spending. I think you always stay responsible with your spending on the salary cap.
"There's a lot of things to balance, and in the end, if you get reckless, you pay the piper eventually. And so we're going to be responsible, we're going to be clinical in our approach, and there's going to be a plan to it, and that's how we're going to roll."
Among the top priorities for the Chargers is an extension for left tackle Rashawn Slater, who is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Hortiz said the Chargers want Slater back.
Beyond Slater, the Chargers have 27 unrestricted free agents, including Mack and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Mack told reporters Sunday that he is mulling retirement. Still, Harbaugh said he has joined the campaign to get Mack back next season and wants everyone back from this year.
"I don't know if it's possible to get everybody back [but] I want to come as darn close as possible to have darn near all of our players come back," Harbaugh said.