The Los Angeles Chargers fired coach Brandon Staley on Friday one day after an embarrassing defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders. The move immediately sparked speculation that Bill Belichick could be the favorite to replace him, but the Chargers may have some reservations.
There is some “wariness” in the Chargers organization regarding a Belichick hire, according to Armando Salguero of OutKick. The franchise is concerned that Belichick would wipe out the team’s existing front-office structure to install his own hierarchy. That would put major figures, including team president John Spanos, on the sidelines. Spanos is the son of Chargers owner Dean Spanos, further complicating matters.
The Chargers would prefer to keep the existing hierarchy in place and have Belichick, as coach, report to John Spanos, but there are serious doubts that Belichick would accept such an arrangement.
The Chargers fired general manager Tom Telesco along with Staley, so there is an opening in the front office. However, it sounds like the Chargers would prefer to fill that opening while retaining their organizational structure. Belichick may want something different, especially since he has been the New England Patriots’ de facto general manager since his arrival in 2000.
The notion of the Chargers passing on Belichick to placate the owner’s son certainly sounds ridiculous. However, past history tells us that Dean Spanos has shied away from making major moves to land in-demand coaches.
Belichick is increasingly seen as likely to leave the Patriots at the end of the season, and he was quickly named a favorite for the Chargers job. Whoever comes in will have an attractive situation anchored by quarterback Justin Herbert, but will also have to deal with some major issues while making the team competitive.
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