Three hottest seats on the Los Angeles Chargers

Despite a roster that includes stars in quarterback Justin Herbert and safety Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles has not reached its full potential over the past two seasons. It missed the playoffs in 2021 and blew a 27-point lead in a wild-card round loss to Jacksonville -- the third-largest comeback in postseason history.

If things don't turn around in 2023, these seats could be the hottest. 

1. Head coach Brandon Staley

Staley hasn't led the Chargers to a playoff victory in two seasons and has no victories against AFC West powerhouse Kansas City, losing four consecutive one-possession games against the Chiefs. 

The Chargers are talented, with eight Pro Bowlers on the 2021 and 2022 teams combined, but Staley's inability to instill discipline may have caused them to implode in pivotal moments.   

In the 31-30 wild-card loss to Jacksonville, the Chargers had seven penalties for 42 yards, including unsportsmanlike conduct by Joey Bosa with 5:25 left in the game. That penalty set up a Trevor Lawerence two-point conversion at the one-yard line.   

2. General manager Tom Telesco 

The GM since 2013, he has had plenty of time to build a Super Bowl contender and two franchise QBs: Philip Rivers, an eight-time Pro Bowler, and Herbert, who has finished second in passing yards for consecutive seasons. 

During Telesco's tenure as GM, the Chargers have only won two playoff games and made no conference championship games, while the Broncos and Chiefs won Super Bowls over the past decade. 

Telesco must deliver better results or Chargers should find someone else to maximize a championship window with a franchise QB.  

3.  CB J.C. Jackson

The former Pro Bowler struggled to recover from ankle surgery he had in the offseason, posting the worst coverage grade (28.1) of any CB with 50 snaps or more, per Pro Football Focus. 

After Jackson suffered a season-ending knee injury, his backup Michael Davis became the starter and had 15 pass deflections in 12 starts, tied for sixth in the NFL.

Another regression would make Jackson expendable. The Chargers can save up to $14.4 million, per Over The Cap, if they release him in 2024.