Throughout the 2022 season, there was one massive head coaching candidate that was tied heavily to the LA Chargers: Sean Payton. All of the Payton speculations seemed to come from his camp, though, as the Chargers seemingly had no interest in paying everything it would take to get Payton to LA.
That is evident by the fact that Brandon Staley survived the 27-0 blown lead in the Wild Card Round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If the Bolts were serious about Payton, the team would have quickly fired Staley and made the move to get Payton in LA.
Another team that has been tied to Payton for quite some time is the Arizona Cardinals, who do not have as intriguing of a job as the Chargers do. It would be shocking if Payton goes to the Cardinals but Arizona has a backup plan: potentially targeting another dream coaching hire for the Chargers.
Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich interviewed for the Cardinals' head coaching vacancy on Tuesday. Reich is many Chargers fans' dream offensive coordinator hire for the Bolts but the Cardinals' open head coaching spot (and rumored love for Reich) could sway him away.
A lot of people in that Cardinal building LOVE Frank Reich, fwiw.
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) January 18, 2023
The Cardinals might be the only team that can steal Frank Reich from the Chargers.
While a lot still needs to happen in the NFL coaching market, the Arizona Cardinals seem like the only team that could really take Frank Reich from the Chargers.
The Bolts have the best coordinator job in the entire sport this offseason. A chance to work with Justin Herbert and this talented offense is a dream for any coach, especially as they either try to climb up the NFL ladder or gain more value, which is what Reich is attempting to do.
There is not an offensive coordinator job in the sport that Reich would take over the Chargers. If Brandon Staley wanted him on his staff then there is no doubt that he would get him... at long as another team does not offer him a head coaching spot.
And the Cardinals might be the only team that is going to offer him that. Reich may end up interviewing for other positions but the Cardinals are the perfect team that is going to look to get an experienced head coach in town to turn this ship around quickly.
Rebuilding teams like the Houston Texans are going to likely look for the next best young coordinator to become a great head coach. After a failed retread in Lovie Smith, the odds of the Texans doing that again are slim to none.
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If the Cardinals want Reich as their head coach they are likely going to get him. If not, the Chargers will have the ability to bring him in as the offensive coordinator without much resistance.