The 58th Super Bowl will be played on Sunday and for the 57th time, it will not include the LA Chargers. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers square off in a rematch from four years ago as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs firmly look to establish their dynasty.
For Chargers fans, the rooting interest is rather simple. Chargers fans don't want to see one of their division rivals win yet another Super Bowl, so it is rather easy to root for the team that beat the Bolts in the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance.
When the Chiefs won last year Melvin Gordon got the last laugh with an admittedly hilarious dunk on us here at Bolt Beat after winning his first Super Bowl ring. There are several former Chargers who can follow in Gordon's footsteps this season, and hopefully it will not come with an ensuing jab at Chargers fans.
Every former Chargers player who can win a Super Bowl in Chiefs-49ers:
Drue Tranquill, Kansas City Chiefs
Drue Tranquill just left the Chargers this past offseason and there was a lot of controversy around his exit. It didn't make sense that the Chargers were willing to pay an older, regressing Eric Kendricks twice as much per season as Tranquill was making on his one-year deal. But alas, that is the direction the team went.
There was obviously some sour grapes after Tranquill's exit, as evident from the shot he took at Brandon Staley after the Chiefs played the Chargers (without Staley) in Week 18. While it may not have ended on a good note, Tranquill at least gets the chance to win a ring now on the Chiefs.
Tranquill has a complicated relationship with Chargers fans because of his exit, and no Chargers fan wants to root for the Chiefs to win. But if it means getting the last laugh over Staley, we all can at least appreciate that for the talented linebacker.
Cole Christiansen, Kansas City Chiefs
Another former Chargers linebacker, Cole Christiansen definitely isn't someone who most Chargers fans remember. Christiansen was mostly a practice squad player with the Chargers but he did play in several games, where he was mostly limited to special teams duty.
Christiansen played in the Divisional Round and the AFC Championship on special teams duty for the Chiefs. He could win a Super Bowl ring in his 16th career NFL game (including playoffs).
Sebastian Joseph-Day, San Francisco 49ers
One week after the Chargers fired Staley and Tom Telesco they also cut ties with Sebastian Joseph-Day. Joseph-Day was a Staley guy and considering he was going to be a cap casualty anyway, it made sense to cut him loose and allow him to sign with a contender.
Joseph-Day made the right choice in the team he signed for as he is now competing for his second Super Bowl ring. Joseph-Day won a Super Bowl as a member of the LA Rams and now can do so with the Rams' bitter rival.
Funnily enough, if the 49ers win Super Bowl LVIII then that would make his Chargers tenure sandwiched between two Super Bowl rings. His stretch with the Chargers will likely be one he likes to forget, unfortunately.