The Los Angeles Chargers crashed out of the 2023 NFL Playoffs in historic fashion, blowing a 27-point lead as they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round. Now, questions are being asked and fingers are being pointed, mainly surrounding the job security of head coach Brandon Staley. Amid reports that Sean Payton could be in line to replace Staley in Los Angeles, ESPN's Adam Schefter has poured cold water on those rumors.
Adam Schefter doesn’t think the Chargers will go after Sean Payton pic.twitter.com/BPuXyJPXNQ
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) January 15, 2023
“… It's hard to see this franchise, with its history, being as aggressive as it would need to be, to go get Sean Payton, as much he might be able to help that franchise. So, I don't know how realistic that is. But it's hard to imagine that a loss like this wouldn't result in some type of changes. It wouldn't necessarily mean Brandon Staley… it could mean a coordinator, or an assistant coach,” Schefter said Monday.
While Schefter foresees some changes coming to LA's coaching staff, he doesn't expect that the team would be willing to move a first-round pick in order to acquire Payton from the New Orleans Saints. Schefter also suggested that he believes Staley will not be fired, though changes could come to his coaching staff following the historic loss vs. Jacksonville.
Payton, who stepped away from football for the 2022 NFL season, is the hottest coaching commodity on the market, and has several interviews lined up. The Chargers could turn heel and opt to pursue him, as they'll surely be evaluating every possibility in the coming weeks, but as of now, it seems that's more of a pipe dream than a realistic possibility for the franchise.
Things can change in a heartbeat when it comes to the NFL coaching landscape, but as of now, it doesn't seem likely that Payton and the Chargers are a match.
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