Brandon Staley is out as Los Angeles Chargers head coach, along with longtime general manager Tom Telesco.
The Chargers’ decision Friday followed an abysmal performance on Thursday Night Football, during which the team gave up a franchise-record 63 points in a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The team later fired its defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach, Jay Rodgers, as well.
The dismissals comes amid a disappointing third season in Los Angeles. The Chargers currently have a 5-9 record and are outside of the AFC playoff race.
The Chargers have made the playoffs only three times since Telesco became general manager in 2013.
“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,” said owner and chairman of the board Dean Spanos. “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.
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‘Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have stood strong through so many ups 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.”
Chargers interim coach Giff Smith
The Chargers later named Giff Smith interim head coach. Smith has been with the Chargers since 2016 as a defensive line coach for six season and the team’s outside linebackers coach the past two seasons. He’s also coached for the Bills and Titans. During his career, Smith coached some big names, including Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.
Chargers interim GM JoJo Wooden
The Chargers named Director of Player Personnel JoJo Wooden interim GM after firing Telesco. He joined the Chargers in 2013 to oversee the team’s scouting departments.
Close losses, poor defense, questionable coaching
We don’t know exactly why Staley was fired, but here are some statistics that have led many to believe Staley was on the hot seat. The Chargers entered the 2023 season with a talented roster and high expectations. But, one-score losses, a lack of execution, questionable coaching and poor defense have marred the Chargers this year.
The Chargers have lost five games by three points or fewer. They rank near the bottom of the league in pass defense, total defense and rushing offense.
Los Angeles lost its first two games to begin the 2023 season and has been on a roller coaster since. The team traded cornerback J.C. Jackson back to the New England Patriots in October after a tumultuous stint in Los Angeles, key starters Mike Williams, Corey Linsley and Joey Bosa were all placed on injured reserve before the calendar turned to December and the Chargers gave up 41 points to the Detroit Lions in a Week 10 loss.
The Chargers reached a low point of the year, though, when franchise quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending fractured right index finger in their Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos. Herbert’s injury by all intents and purposes extinguished the team’s slim playoff hopes.
Staley conceded after the team’s Week 14 loss that it has been the most challenging stretch of his career.
‘It has been, just because you know the type of games that you’ve been in, you know the fights that you’ve been in, you see how other teams are doing in the league and how we’ve competed. We just haven’t been able to knock them down,’ Staley said after the team’s loss to Denver. ‘I take full responsibility. But, yeah, it’s been a tough stretch.’
Then in Week 15, the Chargers surrendered a franchise-worst 63 points in a 63-21 loss to the Raiders.
Beginning of the end
In 2022, Staley helped lead the Chargers to the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2018. However, his coaching and in-game adjustments were criticized after the Chargers blew a franchise record 27-point lead and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 AFC wild-card round.
Jacksonville’s comeback is the third largest in NFL postseason history.
The Chargers’ 2022 playoff collapse was seemingly the beginning of the end of Staley’s tenure as Chargers head coach.
Staley leaves Los Angeles with a 24-24 record in 48 regular-season games as Chargers head coach. He reached the postseason just once in three years and went 0-1 in the playoffs.
Poor defense has plagued the Chargers in Staley’s three seasons at the helm. The Chargers ranked 23rd in total defense in 2021, 20th in 2022 and 29th this year. They also ranked near the bottom in points allowed per game in each of Staley’s three seasons.
The Chargers hired Staley in January 2021 to be the 17th head coach in franchise history after he served as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator for one season in 2020. Staley was an outside linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears (2017–2018) and Denver Broncos (2019) prior to becoming the Rams’ defensive coordinator and later Chargers head coach.
Staley guided the Chargers to a pair of winning seasons in his first two years. However, an epic playoff collapse, subpar defenses for three consecutive years in addition to an underperforming 2023 season were deemed as grounds for his dismissal.
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