NFL Rumors: Ex-Chargers HC Brandon Staley closing in on NFL return with NFC contenders
Brandon Staley has spent the past three years as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He compiled a 24-24 record, including a loss in his only postseason appearance, before being fired after Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season.
Only getting to the playoffs once, despite having one of the most talented rosters in the league, is likely a big reason why the Chargers let him go.
While Staley is not expected to land another head coaching job this year, he has received some interest from teams looking for a new defensive coordinator. The Green Bay Packers are rumored to be one of those teams after they recently parted ways with Joe Barry.
The Athletic's Matt Schneidman and Dianna Russini have reported that the Packers will interview Brandon Staley for the vacancy.
Staley comes from the defensive side of the ball in his coaching history, so if he does land a new job this year, that is likely where he will return. He spent the first 11 years of his coaching career in various defensive assistant roles in college football. His first NFL job came with the Chicago Bears in 2017 when he was hired as their outside linebackers coach.
He spent three seasons in that position before head coach Sean McVay hired Staley as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator ahead of the 2020 NFL season. He had massive success in his only year in the role, including leading the entire NFL in yards allowed and points allowed. This resulted in the Los Angeles Chargers hiring him as their head coach.
While being a head coach didn't bring the same success, Brandon Staley is likely being considered as a defensive coordinator again because of what he did with the Rams in his one season there.
According to Adam Schefter, the Rams have expressed interest in bringing him back to replace Raheem Morris. The Miami Dolphins also plan on meeting with him after they recently parted ways with Vic Fangio.
It seems as though Staley is receiving plenty of prospective interest ahead of the 2024 NFL season. It will be interesting to see who potentially offers him a role as their defensive coordinator and where he ultimately ends up for next season.
Who replaced Brandon Staley as Chargers HC?
The Los Angeles Chargers recently made one of the biggest splashes of the year when they hired Jim Harbaugh to take over as their next head coach. He just won a National Championship in college football with the Michigan Wolverines and previously helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance.
The Chargers have seemingly underachieved in recent seasons, so they expect Harbaugh to transform them into legitimate contenders.