The LA Chargers are heading into the final three weeks of the season looking to make the playoffs for the first time in three years. At 8-6, the Chargers have a good chance of making the playoffs but they have to execute in the last three weeks. The Chargers have three seemingly easy games against Houston, Denver and Las Vegas, but as we know, anything can happen.
The Chargers have to play to their full potential and that might mean that certain players have to stop getting playing time. The team's success is the most important thing and the Bolts might be better off if these players take a back seat for the rest of the year.
Here are the 3 LA Chargers who should be benched the rest of the season:
1. Kenneth Murray
I have been coming to the defense of Kenneth Murray this season but the fact of the matter is that he has not played very well. The hope was that he would play better when healthy but he has not been much better and is not impactful on this defense.
Murray got booted from being an inside linebacker as he struggled in Brandon Staley's defense and has been put on the edge as an edge rusher. The results there have not been great as well as he has not generated any meaningful pressures (he generated one garbage-time pressure) and let up a really ugly touchdown off the edge against the Giants.
Murray is insanely athletic and the Chargers should hang onto him and hope that he can figure out how to succeed in this scheme next season. For now, the Chargers are better off giving Chris Rumph some more snaps on the edge and using Murray's athleticism on kickoffs. Maybe not kick returns, but kickoffs.
Of course, as is the case with each player on this list, if there are injuries or players cannot suit up because of covid-19 then Murray is going to have to play. In a perfect world, he should probably be benched the rest of the year.