This NFL season has been filled with surprises. This is not one of them. The Los Angeles Chargers officially let go of head coach Brandon Staley on Friday (Dec. 15), the day after an oh-so humiliating loss to the Raiders on “Thursday Night Football.” This is seriously the least surprising thing to happen in the NFL in a long time. I mean, that game was beyond embarrassing. There’s no way the Chargers are that bad. So, what happened? Sure, franchise quarterback Justin Herbert is out for the season, but this goes way beyond that. In fact, the Raiders weren’t even playing with their franchise quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. The Raiders have actually benched Garoppolo in favor of rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. This probably goes deep, and that’s why Staley is out.
I’m not saying Staley is a bad coach. I actually think he’s got great coaching skills. But, something is messed up. Sometimes in a breakup, it’s nobody’s fault. Thursday’s game was like watching something so bad, that you just couldn’t pull away from it. The Chargers’ performance was a new level of ridiculous. At least the team got in a few touchdowns before that final score, which was 63-21. Still, that’s the most total points a Chargers team has given up in a single game in the history of their franchise.
The Raiders game took the Chargers down to 5-9 for the season, making this first losing season since 2020, the final year that Anthony Lynn served as head coach. I mean, Staley has only been with the team since 2021, so this does seem a bit quick, but that’s how it rolls in the NFL. If you don’t see improvements early, the way this sport is set up, it’s time to move on.
What do the Chargers have to say about parting ways with Brandon Staley?
“I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement from the NFL. “These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly – especially when you consider the number of people they impact.”
Oh, the Chargers blew out general manager Tom Telesco, too, so this looks to be a total rebuild. So, who will step up as head coach of the Los Angeles team? There are lots of rumors out there, but one rumor seems to stand above the rest.
Who will be the new Los Angeles Chargers head coach?
This isn’t something Detroit Lions fans will want to hear, but all bets point to OC Ben Johnson taking over with the Chargers. Lots of NFL teams are interested in Johnson taking over after this season, due to his great success with the Lions’ offense. According to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post, one team expected to really go after Johnson is the Carolina Panthers, who are in shambles right now. I’m not sure who would want to try to clean that mess up. According to La Canfora, Panthers owner David Tepper has an “unflinching and unwavering fixation” with Johnson. Sounds creepy. But, according to La Canfora, the Chargers is where Johnson “will most want to be.”