Chargers head coach Brandon Staley reignited the debate over his job security after playing his starters during a meaningless Week 18 game, but firing him would be a huge mistake.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times published a story that referenced a potential change at head coach for the Chargers. But Staley’s players are having none of it.
“A lot of people outside the building have opinions about what should happen inside the building, but they don’t know what goes on inside the building,” defensive end Morgan Fox told the Times.
Wide receiver Mike Williams called the speculation “outside noise” rather than representative of feelings in the locker room. Center Corey Linsley and wide receiver DeAndre Carter referenced Staley’s steady demeanor as a reason for their success.
Playing Williams in Week 18 proved costly. On Friday, he was ruled out for Saturday’s game against Jacksonville because of a back injury suffered in the game.
Fans and media can question Staley, but he clearly hasn’t lost the locker room. Several of his players even defended his decision to play them against the Broncos in Week 18 (h/t: espn.com).
In 2021, Staley faced heat — some of it warranted — for his aggressive mindset on fourth downs. “That’s the way we’re going to play around here,” he told reporters after a loss to Kansas City last December. In that game, Staley went for it on fourth down five times in the first three quarters. The offense converted twice.
Unless an HC is an abject failure, such as Denver HC Nathaniel Hackett, it doesn’t make sense to fire a coach after two seasons.
The Chargers’ previous two head coaches, Mike McCoy and Anthony Lynn, each had winning records and led their teams to the playoffs once in their first two seasons as head coach, just as Staley has. In their third seasons, McCoy (4-12 record) and Lynn (5-11) took huge steps back, and each got fired after his fourth season with the Chargers.
On the other hand, Marty Schottenheimer, the Chargers’ HC from 2002-2006, finished his first two years with a 12-20 record before leading the Bolts to three straight winning seasons (including a franchise best 14-win season) and two playoff appearances.
The Chargers are a young team, and they can afford to wait another year before making a coaching change. Staley could grow into a world-class head coach with better decision-making, an attribute that comes with experience.
It would be a shame if another team benefited from Los Angeles’ adversity.
