The Chargers are a well-oiled machine under head coach Jim Harbaugh. That was not the case despite many of the same players a year ago under former head coach Brandon Staley.
Staley's tenure in Los Angeles will go down as a disaster as the team outright gave up on the former head coach down the stretch. Stories from behind the scenes emerged after Staley was let go following a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders that really painted how disconnected he was from his team.
ESPN's Kris Rhim reported on one of the most perplexing yet telling behind-the-scene stories from Staley's tenure that really painted the picture. To make a long story short, Staley essentially ignored Daiyan Henley's birthday, only feeding into the favoritism narrative that was circulating behind the scenes.
Henley obviously has not forgotten about this, as he fired a not-so-subtle shot to his former head coach on his 25th birthday on Monday.
Went from no happy birthday to Endless happy birthday I Love Bolt fam always had my back 🥹❗️
— THE RANGER (@daiyan_henley11) November 18, 2024
Daiyan Henley fires shot at former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley
Not only is Bolt Fam remembering Henley's birthday after this story from last year but Henley's new head coach is proving yet again how different he is from his predecessor. Henley shared Harbaugh's birthday message to him on social media, which is much different from the reported message he received from Staley last year.
This is not the first time Henley has fired a subtle shot at his former head coach. Earlier this year Henley essentially buried Staley's defense when explaining how much easier it was to play in Jesse Minter's scheme.
Then, following the Chargers' nail-biting win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Henley was one of multiple players to explain how this year's Chargers team is different from years past. The main difference, of course, is Jim Harbaugh.
Chargers fans do not need to be told how much better Harbaugh is than Staley, the results speak for themselves. However, it is a real testament to how disconnected the Chargers were last season when current players are being so direct about how much better things are now.
This all bodes horribly for Staley's coaching future in the NFL. While he currently serves as a defensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers, it is hard to see any team being willing to elevate him to a more influential role when so many of his former players are speaking out against him.
Happy birthday, Daiyan Henley.