The Brandon Staley era of Los Angeles Chargers football has come to an end. After much chatter of his future as the losses piled up, the Chargers made the decision to fire both Staley and general manager Tom Telesco following the team’s disastrous 63-21 Thursday Night Football loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The decision ends a three-season run for Staley and a 24-24 record.
Why Did the Chargers Make the Decision Now?
Now 5-9 overall, the Bolts clinched their first losing season under Staley. His previous two Chargers teams finished 9-8 and 10-7, the latter record in 2022.
But following the beatdown at the hands of a Raiders team going through their own in-season head coaching change, the loss further placed the Chargers in danger of being eliminated from the 2023 playoff picture.
The tensions among Chargers fans reached a boiling point in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos. While being dominated throughout the afternoon at SoFi Stadium in the 24-7 loss, Chargers fans broke out with a “Fire Staley” chant toward the end of the game.
But outside of the back-to-back lopsided losses, the Chargers dealt with an inability to finish out games this season. Five of their defeats were decided by a margin of three points or less. That includes the first two games of the season against the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, the latter an overtime defeat.
Staley was hired before the 2021 season after leading the Los Angeles Rams to the No. 1 ranking on defense. However, it didn’t help Staley that he struggled in his area of expertise with the Chargers. All three of his Chargers defenses ranked between 20th to 29th in yards allowed.
The Los Angeles Chargers released the following statement after announcing the news.
“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 a 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 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.”
Timeline of How It All Unraveled for the Chargers
Chargers fans began to grow used to heartbreak under Staley, beginning with the season finale of the 2021 season in Las Vegas.
With a chance to clinch the final playoff spot in the AFC, L.A. fell in overtime 35-32 and watched the rival Raiders celebrate earning the last available postseason seed.
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Heartbreak carried over, though, into 2022. Staley’s Chargers team lost a total of six games that were decided by less than eight points. That includes the most infamous loss against Jacksonville, which saw the Jaguars erase a 27-point lead and stun L.A. 31-30, knocking them out of the playoffs.
The 2023 season was met with enthusiasm and thoughts of a playoff run down in Costa Mesa. The Chargers had come off the heels of their first postseason appearance under Staley. Then, the team hired high-profile offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after he was let go by the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason.
Roster-wise, many NFL fans looked at the Chargers as having one of the more talented two-deep lineups across the league, beginning with the offense with Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and Keenan Allen at the controls of this three-headed offensive monster.
The offense then added towering 6’4″ rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston via the draft — all fueling the intrigue the 2023 unit would become more explosive.
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Defensively, Joey Bosa was healthy. So was J.C. Jackson after a disappointing 2022. Pro Bowlers Khalil Mack and Derwin James also returned at EDGE and safety, respectively.
Los Angeles then signed Pro Bowl inside linebacker Eric Kendricks and added Pac-12 stars Daiyan Henley and Tuli Tuipulotu via the draft to bolster the LB unit — making Staley’s area of expertise appear to look even deeper and more talented.
However, L.A. then got hit with the injury bug as Herbert (broken index finger), Bosa (foot), and Allen (heel) all dealt with late ailments. After the loss to the Broncos, Herbert was ruled out for the season.
Jackson, meanwhile, went from $82.5 million addition to midseason 2023 trade candidate, having never found consistency in L.A. Henley had a hard time earning defensive snaps, and Johnston ended up delivering a disappointing rookie season. All three, though, were Staley decisions via free agency or the draft.
Staley’s tenure became shorter than his predecessor Anthony Lynn, who lasted four seasons with the team. Staley also ended up with the shortest stint for a Chargers head coach since Mike Riley from 1999 to 2001.
Lastly, it’s the first time since 1998 that the Bolts were forced to fire a head coach during the season — as June Jones took over for Kevin Gilbride after six games into the ’98 campaign.
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