The Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) have made the move that most viewers had been waiting for – some longer than others. Head coach Brandon Staley has been fired, as well as general manager Tom Telesco. Giff Smith (outside linebackers coach) and JoJo Wooden have been named as the interim head coach and GM, respectively. It marks the end of an era (not a particularly good one, though) in multiple regards. Now it is time for the Chargers to look ahead.
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 15, 2023
Outlook for Chargers After Dismissal of Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco
It Was (Past) Time
Let’s start by discussing the decision to fire the two. With regards to Brandon Staley, it was quite arguably already past time. There’s an argument to be made that he could have been dismissed after the historic collapse in the Wildcard Round last season, but barring that, he should have already been fired several weeks ago by now. Regardless, it was clear after the horrific loss to the Las Vegas Raiders that owner Dean Spanos could not wait any longer, despite his tendency to not fire coaches midseason (it hasn’t happened since 1998). The team had clearly given up and Staley had lost the locker room. To not fire Staley now would have risked alienating the fanbase even more than they already have been in recent years, and the result could have been catastrophic on several levels.
Firing Telesco mid-season instead of in the off-season comes as more of a surprise. But clearly, Spanos wanted to send a message right away that they were cleaning house from the top down. As stated earlier, Spanos is not known for making such moves, but credit where credit’s due – even if it’s with the knowledge that this should have happened already. At any rate, the Telesco era has seen three failed coaches now and only one playoff appearance per coach, going no further than the Divisional round. While there is some question as to what degree he is to blame for the Chargers woes, after a decade with quite underwhelming results, it is still time for a change in that department too.
Looking Ahead In the Short-Term
For the rest of 2023, the main thing to watch will be some players who are playing for starting or roster spots in the future – particularly younger ones – and how well they do. How the remaining coaching staff does now that Brandon Staley is gone will likely determine their fates as well. But with a new head coach and GM on the way, we could see a lot more dismissals after the season’s end. With the Bills, Broncos, and Chiefs still on the schedule, the Chargers are unlikely to win another game – but at this point that doesn’t really matter. They and the fans will welcome the higher draft pick, Justin Herbert will heal up, and we can see who makes an impression in the final three games. Regardless, we probably won’t see anything worse than the Raiders game – if only because the team may actually be trying a bit more again.
How the head coaching search will play out is a mystery, as it depends heavily on who is hired as general manager. It is possible that Kellen Moore may get promoted, but other than that, it will probably be an outside hire. Barring something crazy happening to warrant it, Giff Smith will likely not be the permanent head coach. It will probably not be Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh either – Spanos is known for being cheap, and those two names will likely be too high-profile/costly (in his mind). After the failures of the so-called “defensive guru” Brandon Staley, however, I do think going back to an offensive-minded head coach is more likely.
More Change to Come
It was mentioned that we could see more staff shake-ups in the off-season. The player roster may also look very different in 2024 as well – not just because of talent warranting changes, but because of cost. The Chargers would enter 2024 $42 million over the cap, with four players not named Herbert pulling in $30+ million – plus some dead cap left over from the JC Jackson saga that they can’t get rid of. Some tough decisions will have to be made. The new GM will have his work cut out for him sorting out this mess.
The four most costly players currently are Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa. Allen and Mack have earned their pay this year for certain, but they’re also on the older side. Williams has proven to be injury-prone and also not worth $30+ million; Bosa seems to have lost a step as well and is only good when 100% healthy – which has not been often lately. The Chargers could end up trading one or two of these players (maybe more!) for draft picks. They could also look to move up in the Draft if the GM feels so inclined – since they won’t be after a quarterback, teams may be more willing to play ball with them in that regard.
A lot of change is on the horizon. This franchise will still center around Justin Herbert, but the faces surrounding him on the coaching staff and quite possibly even the roster are going to look quite different. Time will tell whether the changes will make a difference or end up being just more of the same. But the 2024 off-season will certainly be one to watch for the Chargers, regardless.
Main Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
