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The Los Angeles Chargers are still reeling from their stunning 31-30 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round of the 2023 NFL Playoffs. Despite taking a 27-0 lead thanks to five turnovers from the Jaguars, the Chargers watched their lead slowly disappear in the second half, and before they knew it, they had been knocked out of the playoffs after allowing Jacksonville to pull off a legendary comeback.
Simply put, the Chargers were stunned, and it was a crushing end to a season full of promise. This was supposed to be the season the Chargers emerged as a top contender in the AFC, but instead, they ended up making the playoffs only to crash out of them in spectacular fashion. Now there's a lot of questions that need to be answered this offseason.
One question that has already been answered is the fate of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who was fired shortly after the end of the game. Many fans also want to see head coach Brandon Staley get canned as well, but regardless of what his fate is, the Chargers need a new leader on offense. So with Lombardi out, let's run through three potential offensive coordinators Los Angeles could hire this offseason.
3. Zac Robinson
Zac Robinson is widely considered to be one of the brightest young coaches in the game. Robinson has been part of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff since 2019, and was recently the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Rams in 2022. With many teams needing a spark of offensive creativity this offseason, Robinson has become an interesting candidate for offensive coordinator positions across the league.
Even with Sean McVay now returning as the Rams head coach, he let his staff explore opportunities across the league, and there's a decent chance that Robinson will end up finding a role as an offensive coordinator this offseason. Robinson played a big role in helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI last season, and even though things didn't go nearly as well in 2022, it's clear he has a bright future as a coach in the NFL.
The Chargers need some new insights on offense, and Robinson is one of the brightest young offensive minds in the game. Los Angeles may ultimately prefer to choose someone who has more experience than Robinson, but pairing up young coordinators with young quarterbacks has had success for other teams, and that makes Robinson an interesting option for the Chargers here.
2. Mike LaFleur
Another offensive coordinator who ended up getting fired after the 2022 season was Mike LaFleur of the New York Jets. LaFleur was dealt a pretty rough hand, though, as Zach Wilson was a complete mess in 2022, but he still managed to help the Jets win seven games. And for a point in time, New York actually had a strong offensive game plan, although that was disrupted by Breece Hall's season-ending injury.
LaFleur certainly shoulders some blame for the offensive struggles, but the difference between his firing and Lombardi's firing are pretty drastic. LaFleur has been working as a coach on the offensive side of the ball in the NFL since 2014, and his time with the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan ensures that he has some new concepts that could help open up the Chargers offense.
LaFleur's stock isn't necessarily high considering how his tenure with the Jets just went, but the Chargers are in a much better spot than the Jets. Justin Herbert and the rest of L.A.'s offense have pieces that can do some real damage in the NFL, and if they want a more veteran option to come in and fix things up, LaFleur could be the perfect choice.
1. Frank Reich
Of course, the best way to add a veteran offensive coordinator would be to add a guy who has head coaching experience, which is precisely what Frank Reich has. Reich was also dealt a losing hand in 2022 with the Indianapolis Colts, and while he was fired midway through the season, there wasn't really much he could have done to prevent that from happening.
In 2021, Reich very nearly guided a team led by Carson Wentz to the playoffs, which would have been a wildly impressive feat. Prior to his stint with the Colts, Reich spent time as an offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chargers of course. That familiarity with the team could give Reich an inside track to landing this job.
There's a decent chance that Reich finds a new job as a head coach somewhere in the NFL, which he would obviously take over an offensive coordinator role, but if he strikes out in the head coach department, what better way to build up your reputation than by turning the Chargers into an offensive juggernaut? The pieces are there, and Reich is one of the best offensive minds in the game. If he's there for the taking, the Chargers should do whatever they can to put him in charge of their offense this offseason.
