It has been a rough season for the Los Angeles Chargers. After making the playoffs last year, the Chargers currently find themselves on the outside looking into this year’s NFL playoff picture. Sitting at 5-9, their chances of making the postseason are slim to none. Amid a disappointing season, the team fired their head coach (Brandon Staley) and general manager (Tom Telesco).
Chargers team president John Spanos, son of team owner Dean Spanos, addressed the media for the first time following the franchise’s decision to move on from Staley and Telesco. Spanos was very direct with his comments and didn’t mince words, holding ownership accountable for the decisions made that have led to this tumultuous season.
“My opinion is everything starts with ownership,” Spanos said, per the Associated Press. As the son of the team owner, Spanos included himself in his comments and acknowledged that the franchise needs to be better moving forward. “Ultimately, we’re responsible for everything. What we’ve been doing has not been good enough,” said Spanos.
In three seasons with the Chargers, Staley had a 24-24 record and led the team to a playoff appearance last season before losing historically, when the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The last straw for Staley/Telesco was the Chargers’ embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football last week.
Overall, the Staley/Telesco era in Los Angeles was disappointing, to say the least. Now, Spanos and the Chargers front office face important offseason decisions of who to hire as replacements.
