Will the Chargers be led by a new head coach in the 2023 NFL season?
That possibility was on the minds of countless football fans after Saturday night’s game at TIAA Bank Field. The Chargers looked like a lock for the divisional round when they held a 27-0 first-half lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Trevor Lawrence and company managed to storm all the way back and notch a miraculous 31-30 win.
The NFL world took aim at Brandon Staley on social media after Los Angeles was on the losing end of the third-largest postseason comeback in league history. Fans online took it a step further by suggesting who could replace Staley in LA if the organization decides to make a head-coaching change over the offseason.
Sean Payton, who left New Orleans after the 2021 season but still is contractually tied to the Saints, might be the most coveted head-coaching candidate this offseason. He has a Super Bowl win under his belt and is a gifted offensive mind, so it’s tough not to think about the kind of magic he potentially could make with superstar quarterback Justin Herbert.
That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday morning’s “SportsCenter” indicated it’s difficult to imagine Payton winding up in Los Angeles. The trusted NFL insider pointed to the Chargers’ documented history of not going the extra financial mile for a head coach or top player. And Payton, who’s been working a cushy FOX television analyst gig since leaving the Saints, surely is looking for top dollar to return to the sidelines.
The Bolts might end up seeing plenty of Payton in the years to come, though. The AFC West rival Denver Broncos, one of five teams in the league with a head-coaching vacancy, reportedly are the frontrunner for Payton’s services.
