The Los Angeles Chargers are working to hire Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as their general manager, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Hortiz is the latest acquisition by the Chargers, who hired former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh as their head coach last Wednesday. Harbaugh and Hortiz will work together in looking to construct a roster capable of winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship.
Hortiz has spent 26 years in the Ravens’ front office, starting out as a low-level scout in 1998. He worked his way up the ladder and became director of player personnel in 2019. Hortiz has worked under two general managers who delivered Super Bowl titles to Baltimore: Pro Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome and current Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.
Chargers in need of roster revamp after disappointing 2023 season
He is tasked with replenishing the talent around quarterback Justin Herbert and other building blocks such as offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, receiver Keenan Allen, outside linebacker Khalil Mack and safety Derwin James. Rebuilding the Chargers comes with its challenges, as the team is projected to sit nearly $45 million over the salary cap in 2024, according to Spotrac.
But as the long as the Chargers have Herbert, the feeling will be they’ll always have a shot at remaining competitive. In just four seasons, Herbert has built up quite the resume, becoming the fastest quarterback to record 1,500 completions. He also set the record for most passing yards through his first four seasons, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. He now sits at 17,223 yards to go along with 114 touchdowns.
Despite his on-field success, Herbert and the Chargers have yet to win consistently, holding a 30-32 record in his starts. Harbaugh’s job is to change that and instill a winning culture in Los Angeles. Like the Chargers, Harbaugh is searching for his first Super Bowl championship, which he admitted heavily influenced his decision to leave Michigan.
“It was tough,” Harbaugh said Sunday. “I was torn. My wife, my kids, I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football.”
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