Tom Telesco has spent more than a decade with the Chargers organization. However, with his squad eyeing another underwhelming finish, there’s a chance he’s let go after the season. According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, “there’s a strong expectation within the industry” that the Chargers will be seeking a new head coach and a new GM this offseason.
After stops with the Bills and the Panthers to begin his career, Telesco worked his way up through the Colts organization, culminating in him earning the role of vice president of football operations. At the same time, the Chargers were about to miss the playoffs for the third straight season, leading to longtime GM A.J. Smith‘s ouster.
Telesco ended up earning the Chargers GM job, and he helped build a roster that ultimately won a playoff game in his first season at the helm. However, the Chargers only won one more playoff game over the next nine seasons, with the organization only having a pair of playoff appearances over that span. The exec has a had a few highs (including a 12-4 season in 2018) and more lows (including three seasons with five or fewer wins), but he’s managed to stick around as one of the longest-tenured GMs in the NFL.
The organization’s lack of success might finally catch up to Telesco in 2023. The Chargers currently sit at 5-8, and with Justin Herbert set to miss the rest of the season, things probably aren’t going to get much better in Los Angeles. Owner Dean Spanos will reportedly conduct an offseason evaluation of the organization, and it could ending up leading to significant changes.
As for head coach Brandon Staley, it’s seeming like a foregone conclusion that the head coach will be canned following the season. As the criticism mounts, the Chargers have already been connected to potential replacement options. However, La Canfora warns that Staley might not even make it to the offseason and could be an in-season casualty. With his defense stumbling and his franchise quarterback sidelined, Staley could be facing a brutal end of the season, and a humiliating loss could ultimately cost him his job.
Only chance the Chargers will ever succeed at anything is if the Spanos fools fire themselves.
If the Chargers were not playing on a short week he would be fired immediately
Thing with the Spanos- you just never can tell what they’re about to do.
My misery with ‘change’ is you’re asking players to adapt to another change in philosophy and scheme. If you do that every 2-4 years you’ll consistently be mediocre.
Teams that win regularly have a setup that only requires tweeking (not the drug persuasion) not wholesale changes.
Telesco isn’t the issue
With 2 playoff wins in 10 years, at some point the GM/roster selection has got to be a factor, no?
The biggest knock has been the coaches hired and I think that has more to do with the Spanos family making those decisions. The rosters Telesco have built has been fantastic but the coaching string of Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley have sunk those rosters. I won’t be heartbroken if (and probably when) Telesco gets fired but I think he’s assembled rosters that have consistently put them in positions to win.
This whole organization should be on the hot seat.
Every year I feel luke they could turn it on. They never do.
Now its an older roster with injury plagued players and salary cap issues.
Herbert is great, and he shouldn’t get all the blame, but he isn’t getting it done either.
This team needs a rebuild right now.
The GM, HC and OC need to go. This team has too many talented players to be sitting on the outside lookin in…..
As you mentioned, there is some solid talent on the roster. It would really make no sense to undergo a full scale rebuild under those conditions but that is what would occur if the GM, HC and OC got axed.
Maybe the talent is overrated? Media has to hype the LA teams.
GM isn’t the problem. If other personnel people say you have assembled the most talent in the league like they did before last year, you’re not the problem. The coach is an idiot, but the QB is a tad bit overrated. The ownership is forever a joke as well. Other than that, success is right around the corner. Eli won when he refused to play there.
It doesn’t help that Kansas City is in their division either. If the Chargers were in the AFC or NFC South division there probably wouldn’t be any suggestions at all about them tearing things down.
A good GM doesn’t hire one bad head coach after another. Telesco has made three (3) consecutive poor choices.
I think that’s more on the Spanos family honestly
Staley should have been canned after blowing that big lead in the playoffs vs the Jaguars last year. His coaching has been a dumpster fire for the Chargers, PERIOD
I don’t see him surviving this season.
I wish had bet the under for the win total for the Chargers over the last decade – but every spring the media talks them up into a sure playoff team.