NFL Rumors: Nightmare Brandon Staley replacement candidate emerges for Chargers

The LA Chargers fell back below .500 with a 41-38 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 10. The loss didn't just give the Bolts a losing record yet again, it reignited the fanbase to pound the table for a head coaching change after Brandon Staley's defense disappointed again.

The ship has probably sailed on the Chargers parting ways with Staley in-season as it would have had to happen early in the year. Los Angeles historically does not fire coaches midseason, with the last instance coming all the way back in 1998. For better or worse, coaches get to finish a season with the Bolts.

However, if the Chargers fail to miss the playoffs (like they are currently projected to) then it is safe to say that Staley will get the boot. Staley was already on the hot seat after blowing a 27-0 lead in the AFC Wild Card Round last season. Getting worse in 2023 is asking to be let go.

There are several potential candidates to replace Staley that would be exciting. However, as fans have been reminded time and time again, just because the Bolts make a head coaching change doesn't mean it is going to work. Despite all of the exciting potential candidates, there is a new nightmare candidate that fans must keep an eye on, courtesy of NFL insider Benjamin Allbright:

Dan Quinn replacing Brandon Staley as Chargers head coach would be a disaster

Dan Quinn is currently the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and has thrived in that role. Just because someone is great as a coordinator does not mean they will be a good head coach, as Staley as fruitfully reminded fans over the last three seasons.

Quinn's previous tenure as the Atlanta Falcons head coach was not great. While he made the playoffs twice and even made the Super Bowl once, Quinn was heavily carried by Kyle Shanahan's offense in Atlanta.

For being a defensive guy, Quinn's defenses in Atlanta were never spectacular. In Quinn's five full seasons as head coach, the Falcons ranked 14th, 27th (Super Bowl season), 8th, 25th, and 23rd in points allowed. Quinn's defense ranked in the top 10 just once and in the bottom 10 three times.

In fact, Quinn and Staley are stark mirror images of each other. Both coaches have a lifetime record right around .500 (Quinn is 43-42 and Staley is 23-20) and both looked great coaching defenses with elite players. Staley looked like a defensive genius when he had Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, Quinn looks like a genius as he has Micah Parsons and the immensely talented Cowboys defense.

The last thing the Chargers should do is hire another lifetime .500 defensive-minded head coach who has an absolutely horrible playoff collapse on his resume. If the team is going to do that, it might as well just keep Staley around for another year.

Staley is trying to keep his job and FanDuel Sportsbook is giving you a $150 bonus if the Chargers beat the Packers in Week 11! Bet $5 or more (with a $10 deposit) on the Chargers to win vs. the Packers right now and you'll get an extra $150 in bonus bets if they do. If Staley sticks around, you might as well profit from it - sign up for FanDuel now!