The Chargers are coming off a loss to the Bills.
Here is what the national media thinks of the Bolts ahead of Week 17:
USA Today: 30 (Previous: 31)
“A team that was supposed to wrest the Hollywood spotlight from the Rams will not only be getting a new script in 2024 but is facing huge cast turnover.”
Touchdown Wire: 27 (Previous: 25)
“They made the Bills sweat, but this team has its eye on finding its next head coach and figuring out how to surround Justin Herbert with talented players.”
NFL: 27 (Previous: 27)
“There still can be interesting developments in lost seasons, and the reduced role of Derwin James in Saturday’s tight loss to Buffalo certainly opened my eyes. In essence, he was a nickel corner in the game, taking only a few snaps at safety and playing just 40 of the 52 defensive snaps. James has been an impact player for the Chargers since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2018, rarely coming off the field when healthy. But interim coach Giff Smith apparently has a different vision of James’ role down the stretch, which could raise questions about his future with the franchise, seeing how he carries a salary-cap hit just south of $20 million in 2024. Now, Smith probably won’t be the Chargers’ head coach next season, and a new front office is set to take over, so it’s impossible to project future personnel decisions. Even still, I’ll be keeping an eye on James once the new regime settles in.”
CBS Sports: 30 (Previous: 29)
“The decision to fire Brandon Staley gave this team some life against the Bills. Now let’s see if it carries over the last two games.”
Yahoo Sports: 27 (Previous: 28)
“It was good for the Chargers to compete like they did against the Bills, even in a loss. You don’t want to finish the season being that team, the one that doesn’t show up for the final month. That makes for a long offseason and (more) people lose their jobs that way.”
The Athletic: 28 (Previous: 28)
MVP: Justin Herbert
There’s one reason the Chargers’ job opening will be the most coveted in the league this offseason, and it’s not the Spanos family’s history of throwing money around. It’s Herbert, who was 11th in the league in passing yards (3,134), 13th in EPA per attempt (.14) and 14th in passer rating (93.2) before a finger injury ended his season after Week 14. The numbers don’t tell Herbert’s story, though. The tape does, and if the right coach lands in Los Angeles, look out.