3 Chargers who won’t be back in 2023 and the best options to replace them

Chargers who won’t be back: HC, Brandon Staley

There’s no coming back from blowing a 20-plus point postseason lead, especially considering there were already serious questions about Brandon Staley prior to the game.

Some within the Chargers building thought Staley needed a playoff win to save his job, at least momentarily. He was so, so close, and then it all faded away.

Staley is a fine leader of men and is analytically-driven, but he sometimes loses sight of the feel of the game. Analytics is a buzz words used to oversimplify mathematically-driven decision making. It’s smart to employ some of this in any gameplan. But to ignore the running game with a 20-point lead just because is not smart.

Los Angeles ran the ball just eight times in the second half. Considering they had a double-digit lead, running some clock would’ve been wise. Instead, the Chargers continued handing the ball back to Trevor Lawrence against their exhausted defense. It didn’t work out well in the end.

Staley is a classic overthinker. Sometimes, the answer is simple, just as it is here.

Staley has to go, and he will learn from this experience. In his place, Sean Payton would be an ideal target, and would easily jump to the top of his list if interested.