Major changes are expected after the Los Angeles Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs Saturday night, but don't tell running back Austin Ekeler head coach Brandon Staley could be one of the people on the way out.
The Chargers blow a 27-point lead in losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their wild-card matchup, and with everyone being an contestant in the blame game, Staley is the easy choice.
Austin Ekeler was asked if he would be surprised if Staley was fired, and his response could be looked at as an endorsement for the coach, per Bridget Condon of NFL Network.
“Yes, I would be shocked… you're looking for someone who's going to give you a chance and this guy's given you a chance,” said Ekeler.
When a team has their season end in catastrophic fashion, the head coach is almost always the first place to go. If we're looking at things objectively, Staley hasn't done himself too many favors in his two seasons as the head man. Whether it's his tendency to go for it on every fourth down (even if it's deep in their own territory), or his decision to play his starters in a meaningless game (resulting in wide receiver Mike Williams getting injured the week before), Staley has drawn the ire of fans and media alike.
Having said that, the Chargers have improved in year two of Staley's tenure, if we're to take the big picture point of view. The team missed the playoffs last season, and they made it this year. Technically, that is progress.
If there are going to be changes in Los Angeles, the Chargers need to have a plan in place, or they'll be stuck in neutral. If it's up to Ekeler, head coach is not the place to go for change.
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