After a historic loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Los Angeles Chargers have fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and I wish them and their extended families the best,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said. said in a statement. “These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly, especially considering how many people they impact.
“However, we are clearly not where we hope to be and we need a new vision. Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have remained strong through so many ups and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they earned more. Building and maintaining a championship-caliber program remains our ultimate goal. And reimagining how we achieve this goal starts today.
Thursday night’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders was one of the most embarrassing defeats in recent memory. The 63 points allowed to the Chargers were the most in franchise history, and their 42-point deficit represented the franchise’s third-largest margin of defeat. To add insult to injury, the loss dropped Los Angeles’ playoff chances to less than one percent, according to the New York Times.
The game capped a dreadful stretch for the Chargers defense. In Staley’s three years as head coach, the Chargers’ defense never finished higher than 19th. EPA/Defensive Play and the 21st in defensive DVOA. In 2023, Staley’s defense finished with the fifth worst explosive pass completion rate allowed despite running a two-tiered program specifically designed to eliminate explosive passes.
It wasn’t for lack of talent acquisition either. Staley had two All-Pro defensive talents in edge rusher Joey Bosa and safety Derwin James. Telesco then did its best to add big-name defensive talent each season, bringing in linebacker Khalil Mack via trade and cornerback JC Jackson on a five-year, $82 million deal. Jackson played all seven games before being traded to New England, while Mack, 32, is expected to cost the Chargers. cap affected of $38.5 million in 2024.
In Staley’s inaugural season, the Chargers missed an opportunity to make the playoffs due to Staley’s poor clock management in a Week 18 game against the Raiders. In 2022, Los Angeles blew the third-largest lead in NFL playoff history. The Chargers probably won’t make the playoffs again.
Justin Herbert’s rookie contract window ends this season, with his market-determining contract kicking in in 2024. According to OvertheCap, the Los Angeles Chargers currently have $42.2 million above the 2024 cap threshold, the third least projected cap space in the league.