The LA Chargers dropped an ugly game in Week 7 to the Seattle Seahawks in which they were outplayed in just about every phase of the game. This is the second such loss like this, while the team's four wins have all been less than convincing.
Chargers fans are not sold on this coaching staff and have been very critical of Brandon Staley this season. With Sean Payton potentially looming in the wings, the pressure from a fanbase that simply wants to see results is a very real thing.
While the frustration with Staley and this coaching staff is definitely understandable, those asking for his job at this point in the season are missing the bigger picture. Firing Brandon Staley in-season would do nothing for this football team, and in fact, would probably move things in the wrong direction as far as 2022 is concerned.
Why firing Brandon Staley is pointless for the LA Chargers:
Simply put, Brandon Staley has his fingerprints all over this football team. Tom Telesco and the front office completely rebuilt the team after hiring Staley in 2021 in his vision. The coaching staff, personnel, everything. Staley has a part in all of it.
Firing him midseason would essentially be waiving the white flag on the year. They would be firing the guy that they invested so much into just to bring in an interim coach that will operate in a similar way as Staley.
Think Joe Lombardi is bad as an offensive coordinator? Well guess what, he would probably become the interim head coach if Staley were to be fired. Firing Staley wouldn't suddenly solve all of the team's problems in-season. In fact, it would likely snowball them.
Some fans may counter with the idea of hiring Payton after firing Staley midseason. There are two massive hurdles that would keep that from happening. First, the Chargers would have to trade for Payton from the New Orleans Saints, who would have all the leverage in the world if the Chargers were trying to make a desperate move like this.
The second reason is simply the fact that big-name head coaches don't suddenly join a new team midseason. There has never been an example of a team firing its head coach only to hire a big-name head-coach midseason. Payton has absolutely no reason to uproot his life and go put out someone else's fires midseason. It just doesn't happen.
Instead, the franchise simply has to ride with Staley this season and hope it works. I know that isn't what some fans want to hear but things suddenly won't be fixed if you fire Staley. If this team is going to figure it out and make the playoffs this year, it is going to have to be with Staley.
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And if the team misses that goal despite everything that was invested this offseason, that is when Dean Spanos can fire Staley and Tom Telesco to bring in Sean Payton.