The Chargers players packed their lockers in silence on Sunday, gathering into plastic bags a season’s worth of gifts with Jim Harbaugh’s blue collar theme. Like students signing yearbooks at the conclusion of the school year, they placed signed jerseys in their teammates’ lockers, but the end came much sooner than any scheduled graduation.
The Chargers started a summer with hope for the future after making it back to the playoffs in Harbaugh’s first season, but they struggled with the disappointment of an early AFC wild-card round exit.
“Obviously, it didn’t end the way you wanted it to,” said Joe Alt, a right tackle. Although it’s over, a fresh beginning has begun.
Three things to remember about the Chargers season: