Brandon Staley has redefined what it means to be the head coach of the LA Chargers. It truly has not felt like the Bolts have had a head coach that is this confident in his team and has a hold of the locker room in the same way that Staley does.
Everything we have heard about the previous coaching staff only concludes that Staley is different (and better) from what Charger fans are used to. He has been a breath of fresh air and while there will naturally be some speed bumps along the way with a first-year head coach, Staley has done a great job.
The most impressive thing he has done in this short of time is create a family dynamic in that locker room. Justin Herbert shared how he trusts in the players after the Week 9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles and it is clear that these guys really respect Staley and what he is putting in place.
One of the best team-building things that Staley has implemented this season is game balls. While that is typically something that Pop Warner teams do, it has been a great way to celebrate the achievements on the field and turning around the culture of the team.
Week 9's game ball went to Dustin Hopkins, who nailed the game-winning field goal with five seconds remaining. That wasn't the best thing that Staley gave the team, though, as he gave them something that nearly every player literally jumped for joy about. Watch:
The way the Chargers celebrated tonight when Brandon Staley said there was no practice on Tuesday ?
— Bolt Beat (@BB_Chargers) November 8, 2021
(via Chargers YouTube) pic.twitter.com/xmh64k3wQM
No practice. I remember having the same reaction in high school if my high school coach said there was no practice after a big win in baseball. To see professional athletes get this hyped over no practice is truly funny.
The funniest part about Brandon Staley giving the LA Chargers a day off is Justin Herbert's reaction
If you didn't catch it the first time go back and watch Justin Herbert's reaction when Brandon Staley said "see you Tuesday". While his teammates are literally jumping for joy you get a glimpse of Herbert just standing there and you can see the thoughts churning in his head, "now what am I going to do on Tuesday?"
Justin Herbert has not been shy in sharing how much he loves to play football and how it is the best job in the world and little glimpses like this show that it isn't just media talk. It takes a special kind of athlete to not get excited about a day off from practice. And knowing Herbert, he will probably be throwing balls in his backyard anyway.
MUST-READ: Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts game grades from Week 9
There will be no Chargers injury reports on Tuesday ahead of the Week 10 home game against the Minnesota Vikings. The first reports will be released on Wednesday and hopefully, we will see a less banged-up secondary against the good Minnesota receiving corps.