Pundit Advocates For Lineup Tweak After Broncos Game

Your Los Angeles Chargers have a serious case of senioritis.

A loser of four straight contests, LA lost its second game in the last four weeks to the Denver Broncos this past Sunday, a 16-9 effort during which the Bolts secured zero touchdowns.

To hear Alex Katson of Chargers Wire tell it, it's time for interim head coach Giff Smith to make a change on his defensive line.

“Third-round rookie linebacker Daiyan Henley did not start despite Kenneth Murray Jr. missing Sunday’s game with an injury," Katson writes. "Instead, it was Nick Niemann on the field alongside Eric Kendricks. Niemann was serviceable, for the most part, but the Chargers also know at this point that he likely won’t ever be more. Henley entered the game for Niemann on one drive and instantly had four tackles, only to retreat back to the bench and watch the rest of the defensive snaps from the sideline."

"It’s the latest frustrating example of the Chargers declining to give their young players an opportunity to learn on the job. Los Angeles is eliminated from playoff contention. They were already losing the game when Henley entered for that drive midway through the contest. There is far less to gain from playing your “best” players to try to win a meaningless game than there is playing your young players with unknown potential to give them confidence going into 2024."

"In the season finale, there’s little reason why Henley shouldn’t take a decent chunk of the snaps at linebacker, even if Murray is back on the field.”