Signs Within Chargers Organization Show An Intent To Fire Head Coach Brandon Staley
The Los Angeles Chargers are moving closer to firing Brandon Staley and a key illustration of this being the case is the increasing distance president of football operations John Spanos has opened between himself and the Chargers' head coach.
Spanos is responsible for all football-related functions within the organization. He hired general manager Tom Telesco in 2013 and together they hired Staley in 2021.
Spanos has previously been a strong advocate and believer in Staley but that has changed of late, per sources.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 02: John Spanos of the Los Angeles Chargers attends SiriusXM at Super Bowl LII Radio Row at the Mall of America on February 2, 2018 in Bloomington, Minnesota. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Chargers Spanos Distances Self From Brandon Staley
One source familiar with some of the inner workings of the organization told OutKick recently that Spanos has "unhitched his wagon" from Staley as the team's performance has continued to decline and Staley has fallen out of favor.
There's another perhaps more convincing clue the Chargers are about to move on from Staley:
A source told OutKick that a Spanos family confidant, acting outside the purview of the Chargers organization but with understanding he'd report back to the Spanos family, reached out to people connected to University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The back channel connection was meant to gauge Harbaugh's interest in returning to the NFL. It's not known what message that communication yielded.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 2: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines is seen on stage following the Big Ten Championship against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Chargers Show Unofficial Interest In Jim Harbaugh
But the fact such talks, official or not, are happening is a clear sign the club is planning a future without Staley.
All of this has been happening for weeks. It began sometime during a three-game losing skid during which the Chargers dropped from 4-4 to 4-7. And it obviously started well before Thursday night's embarrassing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
In that loss the Chargers made the Raiders look like a playoff team. Las Vegas suffered an embarrassing 3-0 decision against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and four days later looked like a championship caliber team against Los Angeles, forging a 42-0 lead in the first half.
"Did not come ready to play," Staley said during a halftime interview on the Prime streaming broadcast.
Inglewood, CA - December 10: Charger head coach Brandon Staley coaches during a game against the Broncos at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. Chargers lost to the Broncos 24-7. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Plan Wasn't To Fire Staley In-Season Before Thursday
In that game the Chargers seemed mostly disinterested and often poorly disciplined. One such moment was when a gunner on a punt simply barreled into a Las Vegas punt returner before the ball arrived to give the Raiders better field position for their offensive series.
And things went downhill from there.
A league source told OutKick the belief was the Chargers would not fire Staley before the season ended, but rather let the season play out before making a final decision on his status.
But that was before Thursday night's debacle against the Raiders.
After the game Staley was asked if he knew he'd still be employed on Friday?
"I don't know that," he said.
He was asked whether he thought he should be?
"Yes," he said. "I know what I've done here for three years. I know what I've put into this."
Staley added that "games like this happen to every coach in the league. It's part of sports."
So with his boss widening the gap between them, the club unofficially gauging other options, and the players delivering a terrible stinker on the field, Staley has to wonder if his time with the Chargers will end before the season.
Or if the signs that point to his impending firing will keep adding up until the proverbial hammer drops after the season ends Jan. 7