The Chargers’ postseason hopes took brutal hits on Sunday with a loss to the Broncos and what appeared to be a season-ending finger injury for Justin Herbert. It’s been time to wave the white flag on the 2023 campaign for a while, but Sunday’s events clarified that.
From a personnel standpoint, the Chargers must see which pieces they can count on going forward. In a world where the results of the games don’t matter from a win-loss standpoint, it’s time to see what the younger players on the roster can do.
Pivot to Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller carries. Build on Quentin Johnston’s first 90+ yard game for next year. There’s more than just those, but it would be a start. Given their contractual situations, Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray appear rather unlikely to be back with the Chargers next year. At this point, give Daiyan Henley or Nick Niemann snaps.
On a macro level, the Chargers have to start constructing their plan for 2024. Given the media reporting, it seems pretty sure that the macro decision on retaining Brandon Staley has already been made. Without a playoff birth this year, he will not be back. But what is to be made of GM Tom Telesco, a much less publicly forward-facing figure? Will he get to hire a fourth head coach? Or do the Chargers truly clean house?
For the rest of the season, keeping the Chargers’ coaching staff in place makes sense. Now that Easton Stick is likely the starter for the remaining four games, you may as well save some semblance of structure around him. Keep in mind that the Chargers will play against Las Vegas on Thursday Night Football this week. Short-week firings seem rather unlikely.
Another team-building aspect that LA will have to decide soon is which restructured vets return. It’s hard to remember sometimes how terribly the year has gone, but the Chargers did go all in for 2023 with four max restructures. Keenan Allen is probably a pretty safe candidate to return. But what will the Bolts do after Joey Bosa and Mike Williams suffered what amounted to season-ending injuries this year? Will Khalil Mack want to return after contemplating retirement after the 2022 season?
There’s a month left of the regular season and the Chargers should use it wisely to determine their future. While LA is not formally eliminated from playoff contention, it’s time to pull the plug. Frankly, it’s been time. This roster has looked uninspired, beat down, and pushed around all year. There’s no reason to force Herbert and other key players back out there.
I would say pivoting toward tanking for a premium draft pick should be an objective, but it doesn’t seem like the Chargers will need help doing that. Stick will start three divisional matchups and have to face Josh Allen’s Bills. They were losing with Herbert, and I’m sure they’ll find ways to lose without him. It probably will be easier.
It’s time to stick a fork in the 2023 Chargers. Frankly, it’s time to stick a fork in the “All In” contending era under Telesco and Staley. This team is all but out of everything. In a wide-open AFC, LA’s organizational incompetence and hubris dug them a hole too big to climb out of. Now it’s time to figure out what they want to do with the bed they’ve made.