It does smack of coachspeak, especially when Harbaugh hit the interview with a "all competitors are welcome” slogan to sort of hedge his bets in case the team does make a trade.

After being 2-2 at the bye week, the Chargers have won three of four — including two straight by at least 17 points — and are playing their best football of the season. The biggest reason for the Chargers' turnaround has been something that Harbaugh has preached from when he was hired as head coach on Jan. 24 — mental toughness.

Jim Harbaugh has earned the reputation of the ultimate program builder. After successful turnarounds with the San Francisco 49ers and his Michigan Wolverines, Harbaugh is on pace to do it again. The Los Angeles Chargers finished last season with a 5-12 record in Brandon Staley's final season as head coach.

Anyone wondering whether Jim Harbaugh’s somewhat hokey coaching style might still play in the NFL after 10 years away — or whether the Los Angeles Chargers would embrace his quirky identity — was wasting their time.