As a San Diego native, I’ll never forgive the Chargers for leaving. But credit where credit’s due, the franchise’s social media team has been on a roll when it comes to its NFL schedule release, to the point where everyone looks forward to and anticipates what theme the next one might take on. This year, the Chargers may have outdone themselves with an NFL schedule release video that will be of particular interest to gamers and is packed with a lot of hilarious details.
In a stroke of genius, the Los Angeles Chargers’ NFL schedule release video is composed of a series of “maps” all created within Halo. Each map includes a vignette themed after the given opponent and features some overt (and some not-so-overt) references to that team’s history. Perhaps the best part is that the Chargers collaborated with Microsoft on the video, giving it that extra air of authenticity.
To truly appreciate how brilliant the Los Angeles Chargers release schedule video is, you have to be at least a casual NFL watcher. We’re talking you regularly rebuild your team Madden franchise mode in order to see your favorite team make it to the Super Bowl. And the more you know about a team, the more little easter eggs you will pick up. Everything from the title of each map to the logos for the opponents got, at the very least a chuckle out of me.
For example, the Los Angeles Rams have the Colorado Avalanche logo, a reference to the controversy surrounding GM Les Snead wearing that NHL team’s jersey while the Los Angeles Kings (presumably the team Snead should be cheering for) were locked in a playoff battle with the Avs. Yes, Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke also owns the Avalanche, but fans thought it was in poor taste, and it caused a little kerfuffle. The Chargers putting that in the video is just perfect.
I don’t want to spoil all the references, jokes, and roasts, but I have to say that the Broncos is definitely a highlight. Choosing to target the ankle with a sticky grenade – an obvious reference to Bo Nix’s ankle injury in the AFC Divisional round – is the type of barb that you would expect from a divisional rival. Some would argue that gave the Patriots a clear path to the 2026 Super Bowl, so getting that shot in is dirty. I’d also recommend scanning the QR code for a nice jab at the Kansas City Chiefs.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Los Angeles Chargers Reference Mike Vrabel and Diana Russini
And then there is the elephant in the room. Heading into the NFL schedule release on Thursday night, everyone wondered whether there would be a joke about the Mike Vrabel and Diana Russini scandal. Would it be too far? Would any team be willing to stick its neck out that far? Reports said that the NFL didn’t put out any mandate about referencing the scandal, and that teams should use their best discretion. So then it became a question of whether the Chargers would take that opportunity.
The answer is yes – yes, they would. The references are subtle, but they are there.
Los Angeles has once again nailed the NFL schedule release, and at this point, it’s hard to pick a favorite from all of their past creations. The Minecraft-themed schedule release last year was pretty fantastic, but I think this Halo one is even better. Getting Jeff Steitzer, the Halo announcer voice, to provide the voice-over is a dose of nostalgia any gamer can appreciate, and the more you know the ins and outs of the NFL, the better the video is. If this partnership with Microsoft is to continue once again, I can only imagine what the theme will be for the Los Angeles Chargers 2027 NFL schedule release video. Maybe a World of Warcraft video is in their future?
