49ers vs Chargers Game Analysis and Preview
San Francisco meets Los Angeles for their Week 2 preseason clash with us at PayPerHead.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed after Tuesday’s joint practice that Justin Herbert and the starters will play one series, then step off so backups such as Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei can compete for positions.
Most of the starters for the 49ers sat for Week 1, but a number of them will see some action in this game, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Brock Purdy has a good chance of playing.
San Francisco 49ers Recent Updates: Forget Week 1
In preseason Week 1, San Francisco lost 13-19 to the Tennessee Titans. Rookie WR De-Zhaun Stribling got to show off his skills with a game-high seven receptions and 63 receiving yards. Canadian QB Kurtis Rourke got extra time in Week 1, but suffered a rib injury. However, Tennessee scoring 19 points against the 49ers is a bit troubling.
Their 12-5 record last season only got them to third place in the NFC West, but it was good enough for a Wild Card position. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in their Wild Card matchup but were destroyed by the eventual Super Bowl champs, the Seahawks, 41-6, in the Divisional game.
San Francisco’s 2025 season was an impressive improvement from 2024 when they languished in 4th place with a 6-11 record. However, 2023 saw them with the same 12-5 record in first place. They’ve had four winning seasons in the last five years.
Los Angeles Chargers Recent Updates: Competing QBs
The Chargers clashed with the Texans in Week 1 of the preseason, beating them 27-7. Trey Lance was the backup quarterback getting most of the playing time, but DJ Uiagalelei has shown promise in the offseason and hopes to overtake Lance as the backup.
Los Angeles finished 2025 with an 11-6 record, earning them second place in the AFC West and a wild-card position in the playoffs. It was their second consecutive year with that record, earning second place and advancing to the wild-card stage. Unfortunately, it was also their second consecutive time getting knocked out in the wild-card stage. This time, they lost 16-3 to the New England Patriots.
herbo 🤝 ladd pic.twitter.com/avGN1o6Ibj
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 19, 2026
San Francisco vs Los Angeles History: Injuries at Practice
These teams don’t meet very often. Their most recent encounter was in November of 2022 when the 49ers won 22-16. Prior to that, it was four years earlier, in 2018, when the Chargers won 29-27. Prior to that, they were the San Diego Chargers.
During joint practice on Tuesday, QB Justin Herbert looked poised for a big season as he and his fellow Chargers shredded the 49ers. It wasn’t all glory, though, as center Tyler Biadasz suffered a knee injury.
49ers vs Chargers Prediction: Home Court Advantage
If Rourke is not able to play for the 49ers due to his injury, Mac Jones could step in for him. There’s a lot of depth in their receiving corps that could have a field day against the Chargers’ lack of cornerbacks. San Francisco’s RB Christian McCaffrey sat out the joint practice because of tightness. Shanahan insists he would have played if it were a regular game.
Expectations are for a close, defensive game, with the Chargers having the edge due to home advantage. Our 49ers vs Chargers prediction is a win for the Chargers, who will be confident after their joint practice. Final score: 22-17 for the Chargers.
