Reporters address rumors about Chargers HC Brandon Staley

NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN both believe the Los Angeles Chargers could part ways with head coach Brandon Staley after Week 18 concludes on Jan. 7.

"The feeling around the league is Staley needed to win in 2023," Fowler explained in a piece published Wednesday. Graziano added that his "understanding all along was Staley had to make the playoffs to survive" beyond this season. 

Staley holds an overall regular-season record of 24-23 with the Chargers but may largely be remembered for the epic playoff collapse at the Jacksonville Jaguars this past January. This season, Los Angeles has limped to a 5-8 mark, and star quarterback Justin Herbert was shut down to get surgery to repair a fracture to his right index finger. 

The Chargers play at the 5-8 Las Vegas Raiders Thursday night. As of Wednesday afternoon, the ESPN Football Power Index gave Los Angeles a 0.7% chance to make the playoffs. At that same time, oddschecker had the Chargers as three-point underdogs versus the Raiders. 

"This is a popular job that comes up when people in the know discuss potential openings, and I don't see that changing," Fowler said about the Chargers gig. 

Meanwhile, Graziano noted that the Los Angeles job "more than likely comes open" as soon as the league's "Black Monday" next month. 

As it pertains to potential replacements for Staley, Graziano mentioned in a different column that the Chargers could target none other than New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Patriots owner Robert Kraft has reportedly already decided to part ways with Belichick this winter, and Kraft could trade the 71-year-old to the Chargers assuming claims about Belichick being under contract through at least next season are accurate. 

It's believed Belichick won't retire in early 2024 because he is only 15 wins behind Don Shula for the most career victories (regular season and postseason combined) accumulated by an NFL head coach. 

"Belichick and the Chargers is definitely a concept people around the league are at least watching and considering," Fowler wrote.