It was the city in which Jim Harbaugh’s playing career officially ended. While he thought he could stretch his playing days at least two more years, when he didn’t appear in a single game for the Carolina Panthers as a 15-year quarterback in 2001, Harbaugh knew it was time to trade his helmet for a headset.
“This is the football gods explaining to me that we’re not going to play anymore,” Harbaugh said this week with a wide grin.
Returning to Charlotte, N.C., with the Chargers, Harbaugh has built an even better second career. He aced his return to the NFL last week while the Panthers, led by first-year head coach Dave Canales, flopped against the New Orleans Saints. Canales, who was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, lost 47-10 in his head coaching debut.
With their opponents floundering, the Chargers have an opportunity for their first 2-0 start since 2012.
Key injuries
Chargers: WR D.J. Chark Jr. (hip; on injured reserve. Already missed one of at least four games); S Alohi Gilman (knee; doubtful); OLB Joey Bosa (back; questionable); CB Ja’Sir Taylor (fibula; questionable); WR Joshua Palmer (knee, questionable); RB Hassan Haskins (toe, questionable).
Panthers: P Johnny Hecker (back; questionable); G Damien Hunt (groin; questionable); TE Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back; questionable); RB Raheem Blackshear (personal; questionable); OT Taylor Moton (back/knee; questionable).
How to watch Chargers vs. Panthers
The Chargers will play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at 10 a.m. PDT at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The game will air in Southern California on CBS and Paramount+ in addition to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. Fans in Southern California can listen to the game on 98.7 FM and 105.5 FM.
Betting lines for Chargers vs. Panthers
Who will win Chargers vs. Panthers?
Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s pick: To add injury to the insult of the Week 1 disaster, the Panthers lost star defensive tackle Derrick Brown to a knee injury against the Saints. It’ll leave Carolina vulnerable to the Chargers running game eager to build on last week’s success. Chargers 28, Panthers 17
Sam Farmer’s pick: Tough to travel across the country, but the Chargers aren’t going to turn it over and they’re going to feed J.K. Dobbins. The Panthers are awful and they just lost their best player, DT Derrick Brown, for the season. Chargers 27, Panthers 13
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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