If you're frantically checking your phone or refreshing your feed to figure out what time is the chargers game tonight, I have some news that might be a bit of a buzzkill. Honestly, there isn't one. Today is Friday, January 16, 2026, and the Los Angeles Chargers are officially in offseason mode.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Bolt Fam, especially after the way things wrapped up. Just a few days ago, on Sunday, January 11, the Chargers saw their 2025-2026 campaign come to a grinding halt in Foxborough. They faced the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card round and, well, it wasn't the offensive explosion we were all hoping for. The final score was a stagnant 16-3.
Why isn't there a game tonight?
The NFL playoffs are in full swing, but the "Super" Chargers aren't part of the remaining bracket. While you might see headlines about the Divisional Round kicking off, those games are reserved for the teams that survived the Wild Card weekend.
Basically, the Chargers' loss to the Patriots last Sunday ended their run. Jim Harbaugh's first full year with Justin Herbert certainly had its highlights—starting 3-0 was a dream—but the offense sputtered at the worst possible time in the postseason. Since the NFL doesn't play games on Friday nights during the playoffs anyway (those are reserved for Saturdays, Sundays, and the occasional Monday), there was never a game scheduled for tonight, even if they had won.
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Looking back at the 2025-2026 season stats
The season was a rollercoaster. We saw some incredible flashes of what this team can be under the new leadership, but the consistency just wasn't there in the final stretch.
- Final Regular Season Record: 11-6
- Playoff Result: Loss vs. New England Patriots (16-3)
- The High Point: Beating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-21 in the season opener in São Paulo, Brazil.
- The Low Point: Scoring only 3 points in a must-win playoff scenario.
Justin Herbert finished the year with solid numbers, but the lack of a dominant run game late in the season really hurt. When you're asking a quarterback to do everything against a Bill Belichick-schooled defense in January, it’s a recipe for a 16-3 scoreboard.
What's next for the Chargers in 2026?
Since you can't watch a game tonight, the next best thing is looking at what the 2026 schedule actually looks like. The NFL finalized the opponents for next year the moment the regular season ended. While we don't know the exact dates or times yet (the NFL usually drops the full schedule in mid-May), we know exactly who the Bolts are playing.
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The 2026 schedule is, quite frankly, treacherous. Because the AFC West plays the AFC East and the NFC West this coming year, the Chargers have a gauntlet of elite teams on the horizon.
2026 Home Opponents at SoFi Stadium
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Denver Broncos
- New York Jets
- New England Patriots (Yes, a chance for revenge)
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
2026 Away Opponents
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Denver Broncos
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- Baltimore Ravens
- Seattle Seahawks
- Los Angeles Rams (The "away" game at SoFi)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That is eight games against teams that made the playoffs this past year. Playing the Niners, Bills, and Ravens all in one season is enough to make any defensive coordinator lose sleep.
Addressing the confusion
You might have seen some local listings or smaller league schedules online that mention a "Chargers" game tonight. For example, there are youth leagues like the Irvine Friday Night Lights (FNL) that have teams named the Chargers. One of their 5th/6th-grade teams actually has a game tonight, January 16, at 8:20 PM PST against the Packers at Veterans Park.
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If you were looking for Justin Herbert and Derwin James, though, you’re about seven months too early for the next kickoff.
Actionable steps for the offseason
Since the quest to find what time is the chargers game tonight led to an empty stadium, here is how you can actually stay productive as a fan:
- Mark your calendar for mid-May: This is when the NFL will release the official 2026 schedule with dates and times.
- Watch the Senior Bowl: Keep an eye on the draft prospects. The Chargers need depth at wide receiver and defensive interior.
- Review the cap space: With some big contracts looming, the front office has some tough decisions to make regarding aging veterans.
- Follow the Divisional Round: Even though the Bolts are out, watching the Texans vs. Patriots or the Bills vs. Broncos will give you a good look at the competition the Chargers will face next season.
The 2025 season had plenty of "what ifs," but the foundation is clearly being built. We’re all just waiting for that May schedule drop to start the countdown to Week 1.