A college coaching scandal collided with NFL preseason drama as a trolling moment stole some spotlight from the football field. The Rams fired back at Jim Harbaugh’s NCAA penalties with a cheeky social post, signaling the off‑field saga remains loud in the sport’s echo chamber. The NFL side of the story moved quickly in the same week: a tense exhibition between the Rams and Chargers ended 23‑22 after a late Stetson Bennett TD hookup, with Tru Edwards snagging an 8‑yard score as five seconds remained. Edwards would exit the game with a concussion, adding another layer to a chaotic week for both teams.

Off the field, Harbaugh’s fate looms large: the NCAA’s 10‑year show‑cause penalty (on top of a prior four years) could effectively bar him from college coaching through 2038, while reports noted a five‑year Chargers contract at $16 million per year. In his first Chargers season, Harbaugh guided a rebound from 5‑11 to 11‑6, a notable turn for a program that had just seen sanctions swirl around its leadership. For fantasy players, the intersection of coaching chaos and late‑season NFL depth charts creates ripples—from a potential Bennett opportunity in Los Angeles to the Chargers’ WR stability after Johnston’s concussion. The Rams’ playful jab against the Harbaugh era underscored how quickly narratives shift from sanctions to scheming and contingency plans as teams navigate a season full of unknowns.