On Friday morning Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos did what many fans and the media have been calling for him to do for quite awhile. That was fire head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco, all it took was a 63-21 throttling at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders in a game they trailed 42-0 at halftime and 63-7 in the fourth quarter.
While the Chargers were dealing with plenty of injuries to key players, mainly star quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receiver Keenan Allen, who entered Week 15 with a league-leading 108 receptions, their effort on Thursday was unacceptable. It was a clear indication that Staley had completely lost the team, and something needed to change immediately. That’s exactly what Spanos did on Friday morning, firing Staley, who ends his coaching sting with a 24-25 record, including the playoffs.
Spanos Issues Statement On Firing
“I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish them both and their great families nothing but the best. These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly — especially when you consider the number of people they impact. We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision.
“Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have stood strong through so many up and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they’ve earned more. Building and maintaining a championship-caliber program remains our ultimate goal. and reimagining how we achieve that goal begins today.”
The move by Spanos was likely to happen now or at season’s end. Most believe the move should’ve occurred last January when the Chargers blew a 30-3 lead in a 31-30 wild card playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was shocking to Staley return this season following that collapse of epic proportions. They instead stuck with Staley and the man who hired him in Telesco, who for all intents and purposes have been wasting star quarterback Justin Herbert’s talent with these subpar performances yearly.
Herbert Makes Job Coveted
If for nothing else, having a quarterback like Herbert, who’s only 25 and stands 6 feet 6 and 240 pounds, makes this job appealing. That and the fact you’ll be residing in L.A., but the main attraction is the opportunity to coach Herbert, who has all the tools to be great and has shown that greatness at times in his four-year career. In 2021 the strong-armed former Oregon Ducks star passed for a franchise-record 5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns. This after a 4,300-yard and 31-touchdown rookie season in 2020.
In 2022 Herbert finished with over 4,700 yards passing with 25 touchdowns, and this season, despite injuries, he still posted over 3,100 yards and 20 touchdowns before season-ending finger surgery.
In totality that’s over 17,000 passing yards and 114 touchdowns in less than four full seasons. He’s a franchise quarterback, and he alone will land the Chargers a quality replacement.
The team’s defense needs a makeover, but having a QB in tow makes everything else much more manageable.
Expect to hear names like Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the hottest name amongst coaching candidates. Also Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and even New England head coach and six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick, who’s likely on his way out of Foxborough, Massachusetts.
