Los Angeles Chargers Fire Brandon Staley and GM, Tom Telesco, Mere Hours Following Raiders’ Blowout

Some had already seen this coming, and Thursday’s game was the final nail in the coffin. After the Las Vegas Raiders humiliated the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21, the Chargers’ ownership has taken some bold decisions. Just three games are remaining in the regular season. Will these sweeping changes turn around the team’s fortunes in the final weeks of 2023?

And could this not have come sooner? Bad news for head coach Brandon Staley comes a day after he told the media, “I know the type of coach I am. I believe in myself.” But it seems the Chargers’ ownership has lost faith in him.

Chargers bid adieu to Brandon Staley and their GM

Senior NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, took to Instagram to break the news that the team had fired head coach, Brandon Staley, and General Manager, Tom Telesco. He also stated that fans had expected this move after the Chargers lost by just one point to the Jacksonville Jaguars in last season’s Wild Card Round. In that game, the Chargers were leading by 27 points, when the Jaguars made the third-largest comeback in playoff history and went on to defeat them 31-30.

In the official statement, team owner Dean Spanos said, “We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision.” He also seems to have finally paid heed to his fans’ demands as he said the firing was necessary because “They deserve more. Frankly, they’ve earned more.”

Staley will go down in the franchise’s history as the 2nd coach to be fired mid-season, since 1970. The first was Kevin Gilbride, who was fired in 1998. Looking back, how was he as the Chargers’ coach?

Staley’s coaching: A rollercoaster ride

Staley had been hired by the Chargers in January 2021. He has coached them through 48 games, winning 24 of them and losing 24. Staley had been called in mostly to fix the team’s defense. But that was exactly where he failed to leave his mark. After the Raiders’ loss, they currently rank 27th in the points per allowed metric, and 29th in yards allowed per game.

The Chargers had hired Staley in the first place because of his stunning record with the Los Angeles Rams. In 2020, they were the NFL’s best defense in terms of points allowed per game and yards allowed per game. The interim head coach and general manager for the team are yet to be announced. Will this affect their winning chances against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday?

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