Breaking Down Week 18 & Beyond | LA Chargers

On this episode of Chargers Weekly, Matt “Money” Smith and Chris Hayre analyze last Sunday’s game vs the Denver Broncos before breaking down Week 18 & beyond, including a first look at the Bolts draft possibilities. They discuss the biggest takeaways from the College Football Playoff games, the selections of Keenan Allen and Khalil Mack to the 2024 Pro Bowl, focusing on quarterback Justin Herbert as the team’s #1 priority, and what the LA Chargers are looking for in a future head coach. Presented by Microsoft Surface.

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T aan 1510 touchdown Chargers what’s up guys welcome into our final Chargers weekly of the regular season as always joined by Matt money Smith we are powered by Microsoft service Chargers losing Denver last week final game this Sunday Sofi Stadium Monday we got blae Gabbert versus East stick and uh a lot to discuss after the

Game uh I I don’t know how much you want to get into last week at Denver kind of an uneventful game uh I know that Sunday uh a lot of these guys may not be on this team in 2024 and we’re kind of going to turn the page to a brand new er

Of Chargers football you know I think it’s worth kind of digging into a little bit in terms of that game because you know they had built obviously the Raider game was a colossal failure year but you watch them take that step and respond and played for GIF and played a great game

And nearly knocked off the bills and ruined their postseason hopes uh didn’t come together you know slipped away from them at the end and and unfor and I was hoping they were going to take that next step get that win knock off the Broncos in Denver officially you know even

Though they were eliminated because of the way the other games played out but you know make sure that you do the eliminating of the Broncos especially with Jared stum getting the start and you know they weren’t able to do that and I defensively I thought they played solid obviously one just terrible play

The Lil Jordan Humphrey touchdown where there were four missed tackles a blown coverage and just you know ugly all over the field but outside of that you’re talking about a team that limited Javon Williams and and the Broncos rushing attack and they tried to run the heck

Out of the ball and they just couldn’t you know they rushed for three yards per carry and really it was bad turnovers you know uh Nick nean not securing the football before he tried to to run it on that fourth down fake punt you know bobblin and that just knocked that thing

Off track and then you know Austin Eckler coughing the football up and losing it for the fourth time this season so the defense played well I you know and I think there’s a couple concerns there I guess we’ll just start there Chris like you know the the one

Thing that that I would be concerned about is just Corners I think you really have to to think about this secondary moving forward I think you had issues with tackling by the corners far too often in that game and your Corners in this league have got be able to tackle

Just with the rules it’s a Passing League flags are getting thrown all the time for pi or for holding and that means there’s going to be a lot of completed passes out there and you have to be able to tackle and that’s just been an issue for this team at at that position

So to me that was kind of even though it was a good day for the defense that was probably my takeaway is as we push this toward next year you know so I’ll just start there on that defensive side of the the ball and say if you’re going to

Play Corner in this league you got to be able to tackle and if you can’t tackle it you need to find someone who can I think that’s a great place to start uh you know save for that little Jordan Humphrey somebody told me I didn’t see the exact number but nextg stats that

Was like a 0 2% chance of being a touchdown yeah and and it turned into a touchdown because of just the Ridiculousness of that play and the missed tackle so you know you take that play out and I thought the defense played pretty good but again in 2024 you

Look at this and I think the corner position is a great place to start um you’re going to have to load up at that position this off season uh we talked about the edge rusher we know tuli’s is going to be here uh khil and Joey have

Massive cap numbers um it’s it’s safe to say we don’t know did did has Joey played his last game as a charger I don’t know has khil Mack played his last game as a charger despite having a really good season a pro bowl season I don’t know these are a lot of big

Decisions that are going to be made by the next regime but this defense is going to look a lot different money no doubt um and a lot of it is you know I think a lot of it is just money and and what is available on the trade market in terms of people

Being willing to take on that money uh I think ultimately that’s you know that’s what’s going to that’s what’s going to determine maybe who stays who goes you know who has a contract and who has the production that’s of value to somebody else in the league that you can at least

Unload the salary take the you know the hit on the cap you know with the signing bonus and some of the money that you moved around in order to to keep this team together to make a run at a Super Bowl this year so that I think you know

It’s basically the big four right is what we’re talking about I don’t think we need to tiptoe around it it’s khil Joey Keenan Mike that’s what we’re talking about those are four gigantic contracts that account for somewhere around aund I don’t remember what the number is it’s like 120 130 million

Bucks of Sal next year north of 120 yeah so that’s that’s where it starts and I don’t know if it’s two of the four it’s three of the four if it’s all four if it’s one of the four but I would be very very surprised if all four of them were

Back on this roster next year considering how bad it went this year considering the injury history uh I mean you have you have two lanes you’ve got the injury history of Joey and Mike Williams and you’ve got the age 33 for khil 32 for Keenan Allen neither neither is is ideal moving

Forward right someone that that you know two guys that have have that struggle to stay on the field with huge cap numbers and salaries and two guys who according to history probably are going to see it listen these declines do not happen gradually they show up like that for

Whatever reason in the game of football there are no gradual declines you have it and then you don’t and it’s for something I don’t know what it is about this sport but that’s typically how it works so that’s that’s the risk that you take on by keeping any of those players

And I’m sure that’ll be a very uh it’ll be a very tough conversation because they’re all great players they’ve all meant a lot to this franchise even khil only haven’t been here for two years uh but what he’s meant to the development of Tuli and and

How well Tui Pou has played this year and and what what he’s attributed to Kil Mack for why you know he he feels like he’s kind of been able to to grow and progress so quickly so those are tough those are tough questions I don’t

Remember how we got there to this so my apologies but I’ll just leave it at that no we started on the defense and and again right the two the two big price tags are khil Mack and Joey Bosa and money for for as disappointing the last

Two years have gone khil Mack has been in the bright spot I don’t think he’s missed a game you know and and he’s played really at an all proo level this year you know starting with that six sack game against the Raiders and then just you know being that presence on the

Other side and I know it it kills Joey to not be out there with him you know that was the the big theme this off season was you know Joey’s like I felt like I let khil down not being on the field and then unfortunately they

Weren’t able to be on the field again together this year so yeah uh the the two lanes and I I just go back to the history of the game and you know this is something that Bill Walsh always preached and I know Bill bich is like

You want to get out from under a contract a year early rather than a year late 100% And that’s that’s the the the conundrum I guess you have with guys like now I will say this I think kenan’s game can have a little bit more longevity because his game is not built

On speed it’s built on Route running and built on just his football IQ so I I do think that you can get some really productive years out of Keenan khil has shown that he’s still productive but like you said sometimes it just happens and when you weigh the cap number with

All four of these guys it’s going to be an interesting decision like you have you have the guys who have been injured and had that history of injury history versus the guys who have been productive for you the last couple of years but you just don’t know when that is going to

Fall off my big concern with Kanan would be you know the third down numbers are incredible right yeah but but why are we in so many third Downs you know because we don’t have explosiveness out there that’s you know we don’t see that the Chargers I’m not part of the team the

Char don’t have explosiveness out there we don’t see it is what I’m trying to say so maybe it’s a complete reimagining of the wide receiver room that was we like these big bodies we like these tall receivers you need speed man you need explosiveness out there it was so

Evident on that field against Denver this team had nothing in terms of juice and the the Broncos just packed the Box they were not afraid of anybody beating them deep Patrick certan was in Quinton J Johnston’s Jersey the entire game and he could not get off press and just got

Manhandled every single snap came alive a little bit had a couple really nice moments against Patrick you know a little bit later in that game but really just got thrown around and as as good as Alex Erikson was and he had a great game and a couple big catches he just had no

Speed they had no explosiveness and that’s not Keenan’s game you know you talked about maybe that’s why it makes sense but they need it I mean they need it desperately so I think that’s sort of another conversation now you can’t just go out and buy it you know you you’re

Going to have to draft it you’re going to have to develop it but I think it’s clear that that that is lacking that as great as Mike Williams has been with those 50-50 balls and in the red zone and as great as Keenan has been on third down like it just there’s something

Missing there is something missing in the running back room there is something missing in the wide receiver room in the tight end room where they have got to figure out a way how to get explosive and how to you know it goes back to the the Vic fangio philosophy on defense

Right and that’s put a lit on it force them to to need 13 15pl drives in order to score a touchdown because on your way there you’re probably going to get a penalty you’re probably going to get off schedule you’re going to need to convert two or three third down and that’s where

We get you and you settle for field goals and that’s just happened to this team far too often where we don’t have those three playay drives five play drives every single one has just been this dig your fingernails into the side of the mountain and just scale and hope

You don’t slip on the way up and and to me Chris that was so evident in that Denver game they would have these great Drive starters and you’d get a couple first downs and then you’re behind the sticks and now Ran’s got a brutal holding penalty and you’re out of field

Goal range and you can’t recover and you can’t convert a third down they were zero for their first nine like they got to get out of that they have got to get off that treadmill and and get back to what we saw in 2020 where you’ve got these explosive plays from Austin Eckler

And you’ve got these explosive plays from Herbert to to T Billy and Herbert to Jaylen gon and like Herbert to Hunter Henry like we’ve got to get back to that they have to find those guys too and jayen gon and T Billy it’s not like these guys are wide receiver one but

Justin would find them down the field and you know I I I go back to what what we saw on Sunday Dolphins Ravens right J flowers with with a explosive 72 yard touchdown like just like that boom you know uh what tank Dell has done in in Houston like it’s unfortunate because

You don’t want to project what quinton’s going to be moving forward because we we still need to give him a little bit more time but what you see that has happened after him this team could have used it this year and they may have been a little bit more effective offensively

Instead of having to run everything Keenan and being able to withstand the injuries to Mike and that’s what kind of leads us to the draft and you brought you know what Chris I’m gonna I’m GNA jump in there real quick because I think it’s a great you make a great point and

That I just had this conversation on petro and money yesterday about haime hakz I’m like if you’re the Lakers and you’ve got a 39-year-old LeBron James and you’ve got a 30-year-old Anthony Davis and you made the Conference finals last year why are you drafting a developmental Prospect in Jaylen Hood

Chafino when haime hakz is ready to go and you guys expect you you you’ve spent all this money on Gabe Vincent and Jackson Hayes and Christian Wood you expect to win the championship this year so why is your first round pick someone that’s not going to contribute for two

Years and I felt the same way about Quinton it’s like yeah maybe he’s going to be great but you just shoved $1 140 million into 2024 because you believe you’re good enough to win this year you don’t have explosiveness in your wide receiver room and and look it’s I get

The a flowers thing but here’s Jordan Addison guy that won the bitov two years ago that is as polished a route Runner as there is you know exactly will he you know is the SE a little bit lower for him because of the size and maybe the

Speed yeah maybe but you know what he’s going to do when he gets here day one you know exactly what he’s going to do there is no question about how high that floor is so that’s that’s sort of where the team building thing came in and

Comes in for me like you knew what you thought you had this year so why are you taking someone that you told us from the get-go and the jump not quite ready so that’s you know you know especially especially with how the wide receiver room was already constructed Josh Palmer

Big Josh Palmer’s big kid Mike Williams is a big dude we know what Keenan Allen does speed we how how many times we talk about Z flowers on this podcast leading up to the draft yeah all the time but but take puka nakua out of it in the

Fifth round just take him out because that’s that’s an outlier well and remember for people that that think it was such a brilliant pick yes it was it turned out to be great puka couldn’t stay healthy like that’s that’s why he slid the guy just could not stay on the

Field his entire college football career so the Rams caught a break he’s healthy and he’s when he’s on the field he’s great but the guy just had way too many injuries and that’s what scared everybody off yeah but Sam leaport is in the Pro Bowl yeah you know Michael mayor

Has shows has shown promise tank Dell was the wide receiver one for CJ Stout as a rookie right Z flowers Jordan Addison I mean there was a lot of weapons dton conade who I I know you were so high on coming into this thing yeah all these guys could have really

Helped I think this year offensively um and I I’m still saying that in the same breath as I’m rooting for Quinton and and I think it’s a huge off season for him to make to make that next step But Here We Go Chargers GNA have a top seven

Pick in this upcoming draft Eight’s the worst it could possibly be e is the lowest they could go so I see I see Brock Bowers I see romad dun I see Neighbors from LSU like or what we talked about last week trade back get more dudes sure but but if one of those

Game changers is there and you can pair them and kind of revamp your tight ends in your wide receivers room with with a with a brock Bowers or a neighbors I think that that’s probably the route to go and then it would make it a little

Bit more palatable to to cut ties with one of these guys that you know you’ve had such a deep connection with over the last several years so the Bowers thing scares me and I know I said we wouldn’t even be in a you know the Chargers

Wouldn’t even be in a position to draft them cuz he was going to get drafted so high to me it’s history there’s too much history there where we have way too many tight ends that are taken in the top five because they’re Freaks and it’s Eric Ebron and it’s Kyle pittz getting

Taken ahead of Slater and Su and Jamar chase that scares me the tight end thing it just there’s too many there’s too many tight ends OJ Howard OJ Howard in joku like there’s so many of them that that worry me so that I would stay away

From the the wide receiver DJ and I were talking about this on the way home they’re sitting next to each other on the plane and it’s interesting because you know think about the names you rattled off right tank Dell Z flowers in the 20s Jordan Addison in the 20s uh

Rashid rice in the in the second round Reed for the Packers in the second round like you’ll find receivers there’s it has become a receiver game all of these kids because of seven on seven and Friday Night Lights are coming up as receivers there’s so many of them right

Now what there aren’t offensive lineman and so the Chargers are going to probably be in a spot where fashanu is sitting there and joal is sitting there from Notre Dame and I think that’s where the question comes in do you take that tackle because you have the quarterback

And what like what did we see this week from Jordan mcfaden 39 snaps not a single pressure you can find guards you can find centers in the later rounds yeah but tackles you got to draft tackles High Trey played solid football but you go through everybody in the

NFL’s offensive line and I’m telling you right now you want to talk about Elite tackles I can say that probably 90% of them are taken in the first round so if you have an opportunity to have not one but two elite elite players at tackle and Justin

Herbert as your quarterback to me that that changes the game that changes the numbers for everything because now you don’t have to worry about doubling anybody you you can now you can run you know with uh with a Sam leapa with a Musgrave with that tight end now and

Linebacker’s got to cover him and a safety you can flex your back out because you’re not worried about having to Chip and keep somebody in in pass Pro and like so that’s what’s going to be interesting for the next general manager is do we have an opportunity to kind of

What Detroit has right where when they took Su they already had Decker and it’s like he’s a really good tackle well yeah but now we can change everything now we can completely change the calculus because we have two re you know one really really good tackle and one Elite tackle

So I to me that’s something that’s going to be disgusting you then also brought up what I think is probably the best point and that’s trading back yeah and that’s you’ve got three quarterbacks guaranteed to be taken in the top 10 Daniels unless he weighs like 160 pounds

Which is possible he’s very skinny you know J Daniels and obviously Drake May and Caleb Williams are gonna be one and two how about Michael P Michael Pedic made some money this weekend that’s a that’s a medical you know every nobody is disagreeing with how good of a quarterback Michael penx is he’s

Incredible he should have won the Heisman it’s it’s a damn shame that he didn’t it’s it’s actually inexcusable that he didn’t but the network that pushed is the Heisman also carries the SEC and not the Pack 12 or the Big 10 and so they tend to get their way in

Those things but he was robbed much like Toby Gart was robbed much like Andrew Luck was robbed and the Pack 12 routinely gets screwed in the Heisman Trophy balling unless it’s someone from USC so hopefully penx with two acl’s and a shoulder that’s a lot of surgeries

Before you come out of you it’s the same knee with the ACL so that’s that’s a concern but and B Nick could sneak his way in there so that that’s if you can if you’re what we’re getting at and why we’re discussing quarterbacks even though the Chargers have Justin Herbert

If one of them is available Jaden Daniels or Drake May or somebody is available when the Chargers are picking and you got someone that wants to come up and they’re back at 15 or they’re at and you think about what Carolina gave up to go up to get Bryce young at number

One and like that’s that’s probably where I would assume the team is really going to do a a long hard look is maybe we trade back and get the corner instead you trade back and you get you still get an an elite receiver because there’s probably five that are going to

Go on the first round so I think that’s worth worth discussing as well especially let’s just say there’s seven right and you know three quarterbacks are going to go at least before them you’re going to have your choice of one of those tackles or an elite receiver or

Or or or Harrison one of those that’s four right top two tackles top two receivers so so if somebody and and we know how desperate teams are to find their franchise quarterback and what they’re willing to do we saw Carolina last year uh if if if the Chargers can

Move out of that seven and get a mid round pick get a second this year get a first next year if somebody’s really desperate I mean that’s when we’re really talking about trying to roster build and you know there are some holes on this roster going into 2024 that they

Need to fill and it’s not going to be just one guy and I I would be you know for as good as like neighbors is from LSU I would be very hesitant to to draft a wide receiver in the top 10 knowing how many other needs I need uh and

Knowing that Justin Herbert can get the football to to a lot of people uh and there’s a lot of receivers out there like you we mentioned all these guys man all these guys went in the late first second and Beyond and you know if Justin Herbert can throw to T Billy and Jaylen

Gon he can certainly find a guy late first early second and make him into a St too yeah I’m looking off screen here for those watching on YouTube not because I’m not listening to what Chris is saying I am but I wanted to check out tanon because you know I just I think

About I think about what Houston did last year to go up and get Will Anderson right and and what they were willing to give up and I talked about Miami giving up a one you know two ones to get jayen Wadd what Philly gave up to go up and

Get Devonte Smith so as as you look and and you see you know Houston has got that 17th pick and you know actually that goes to Arizona I forgot about that so because they went back up to get Will Anderson so what I’m getting at is look maybe it’s Arizona maybe Arizona decides

They want to move on from Kyler Murray they can get a one for Kyler Murray and they’re going to take Jaden Daniels or they’re going to take Drake May or they’re going to start over and they get a second one and now next thing you know

They want to trade you a couple ones to come up and get that wide receiver to help out their brand new quarterback and and put Malik neighbors with their new quarter I think there’s so many combinations that could lead to the Chargers getting an extra one maybe two

Ones this year maybe you end up getting a one a two this year so now you’ve got two twos you slide back a little bit and you’ve got a one going into next year like that’s the ort of stuff that you can get into when quarterbacks are available and quarterbacks are valued

And got Seattle at 15 Denver at 14 um at the Raiders may need a may need a quarterback exactly Raiders at 11 there are so many as you go through and you start looking down you start looking down the list and you see New Orleans at

13 you see Minnesota at 12 there’s a lot of opportunities for you to to to pick up that that first where you’re still going to get an elite player add a one next year pick up a two or a three this year and that’s the sort of Stu and I

Hate talking about this because it just it reminds you of how bad the season went but unfortunately it’s it’s where we’re at I tell you this Chargers fans would rather hear about this than than week 18 right now right like they want they want to get this thing going they want the jump

Start on who the coach and the general manager is going to be and they want to see how this roster is going to be first developed and I think the wide the the running back position it may be a complete expansion right it could be it

Could be yeah could be a complete total reset we we’ll see what happens with Austin this offseason I think Josh Kelly’s a free agent I I I don’t know it what the next coaching staff is going to think about Isaiah Spiller obviously he’s under contract um but I do think

That they’re going to have to find a way to run the football they’re going to have to find a way to run the football no doubt and look if it’s the the head coach that everybody wants that ends up getting hired Jim Harbaugh is not not going to

Run the football and that’s where that’s where the tackle conversation comes in that’s where a back in the second round comes in and maybe why you would want to trade back get that extra pick in the second round there you grab your tight end you grab your your back and you’re

Ready to play the style of football that that Bo shencker embedded into to Jim Harbaugh’s brain you know when he called Bo and said I’m thinking about being a head coach said you going to have a fullback that puts his hand in the ground yes I am you going to have a

Tight end that blocks yes I am you’re going to run God’s play yes we’re going to run power all right you can be a head coach and that’s that’s the foundation on which Jim Harbaugh you know builds his football teams we don’t have that the Chargers do not have that right now

They they they are the you know in the conversation as the worst running team in the league and that’s the identity of Michigan they they drag you into the deep water and in the fourth quarter they drown you they pull you under because they’re going to be able to

Tread water longer than you are and that’s how they’ve done it since he showed up they’re a physical team they you know they can take your punches and as long as they’ve got you in their sights they’re gonna beat you at by the end of the game and so that’s not what

This team is and that’s and that’s where the head coach is going to determine what they need and how they want to play and what they want to play with because chances are that the person you bring in is probably going to be paired with a GM that has a similar

Vision man I just when you’re you’re talking money and that identity that the Chargers have lacked especially running the football like I I remember I think the last really successful year they had run the football was when Melvin was at his Peak powers under coach Lynn and and

They they mixed in Eckler and and it was a it was a very solid running attack had not seen that have not seen that and that has been such a missing link you take out the Miami game I I I want to give the whoever somebody on Twitter had a some sort of

Stat it escapes me the name but take out the Miami game it was like the worst rushing attack in like the last decade oh yeah yeah it’s it’s been brutal it has been brutal and that’s where that’s why I bring up the it’s the right side of the line collapses every time they

Try to run the ball that way so that’s why I’m talking about the tackle that’s why I’m talking about you know and that’s where Maybe the Brock Bowers thing comes in because he is a full service tight end he will block his tail off and he will catch the ball and he

Will body up guys and he can extend plays like he’s the full he’s the full package that’s why you’re talking about him he’s George KD he’s TJ hackinson he’s you know he’s Travis Kel is a different deal Travis Kel is more of that receiver but that’s kind of the

Mold that that Bowers is in think of KD think of hackinson he can do it all and that’s kind of going back to when hackinson was traded for a two it’s like yeah that’s the guy that everybody’s looking for you know that’s that’s what you want if you’re going to pay a

Premium for a tight end you want to pay it for the tight end that isn’t just a pass catcher but one that’s going to knock you on your tail when they’re running the ball so that’s look there’s um there’s a lot of different directions they can go and and typically when you

Say that it’s because there’s a lot of holes and that you have to fill and so the the one thing I would like to see and and again we we not privy to to everything behind the the you know things that are closed off to us practices meetings film study but Dan

Henley got out there for a couple snaps and man he made a huge tackle like an explosive Play Saving tackle when javante broke through that line and Eric Kendricks read it wrong and he was running into that Gap and there’s Deon sprinting over there making that ankle

Tackle limiting it to like a 10 or 11 yard rush instead of a 30 or 40 yard yard rush so like to see a little bit more of that out there with with him and he made a he made a tackle right after that made a stuff at the line of

Scrimmage so I’m hoping we get a little bit more of that uh on Sunday against the Chiefs now granted it’s going to be a much different looking Chiefs team you’re not going to see Patrick Mahomes it’s bla Gabbert you’re not gonna see Travis Kelce you know I don’t know you

Got to put somebody out there so they’re obviously have players out there someone’s got to play but for that matter I I really would like to evaluate keep mcfaden out there let’s see if you know if that’s something moving forward that that you’re comfortable with I might even consider playing him at

Center if Zion’s healthy and and they were working him out at Center as well because of the contract versus Brendan’s contract so that’s I think that’s worth to me that’s this week 18 as much as I’d like to see GIF get a get a win and as

Much as I’d like to see e get a win I think you owe it to the the organization to to really try to put some some guys out there and evaluate game tape from some of these younger players as as you go into what’s likely going to be a

Pretty big reset in the off season speaking of that let’s take a quick break and we will get into that reset the the potential head coach uh of the the Chargers and GM and what could happen next Monday all right guys a big thank you to our partner Microsoft Surface the

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Eats app just set your location to Sofi Stadium select your favorites and you’ll receive a notification when your order is ready for pickup there are many mouthwatering options in Sofi Stadium let the stadium Rumble not your stomach Go Chargers so money the season ends and it happens quick and then Black Monday

Happens and coaches are let go and the the teams like the Panthers and the Chargers who we know the Raiders who we know already need to be looking for a head coach that process starts to get expedited a little bit um what do you think is gonna happen around the NFL

Like bellich seems like it right that’s been the name it what what other names are like I’m going down obviously Carolina needs a coach Washington needs a coach we’ve already heard that Rivera is out there sounds like bich and craft are ready to part ways it feels like

That’s going to happen so New England needs a coach Arizona Giants fine Chargers need a coach word on Tennessee to me that’s a trade can they get a one for Mike Vel if they can then maybe they decide let’s let’s reset and move on the Jets sound

Like they’re fine that they want to give it one more go sounds like Atlanta I think it probably depends what it looks like against New Orleans if they don’t get blown off the field or maybe they win that game then Arthur Smith stays it sounds SS like they want to keep them

Chicago I’d be really surprised if they kept ever flu but they’ve played great they’ve played really good football here to close the season sounds like but it’s like if you’re gonna get rid of Justin fields and you’re gonna draft a new quarterback and do you really want uh a

Guy that was probably going to get fired five weeks ago in that quarterback’s first season with that offensive system that you very well could end up changing the following year you don’t want to do that to uh to a Young quarterback so that’s where that thing is kind of

Interesting to me and I think it also depends on man we got the number one pick we got Caleb Williams you know we can we can maybe really go out and get someone here you know someone’s going to be very interested in this job because of how well the Bears played down the

Stretch the fact that Caleb Williams is coming in on a rookie deal and you’ve got DJ Moore You’ve Got Talent on that roster you got monest sweat locked up so that could end up being like that’s the sort of discussions that are going to be had on Black Monday

Okay I know we like what Matt did down the stretch but let’s let’s think about who’s available and what our pitch is and who we might be able to get look it’s that’s the thing about firing your coach who are you gonna hire instead are they better are they considerably better

Is it a lateral move are you just getting rid of the guy in order to to say we understand the fans frustrations here’s your red meat and and your sacrificial lamb now we got to go find someone that maybe we don’t even like as much like that’s that’s where it comes into the

Conversation with a team like the Bears yes the players like Antonio Pierce Raiders are going to get a new head coach they’re they’re going to find someone same thing in New Orleans they’re saying Dennis Allen is safe but it’s like is he like I you really okay with that with with potentially eight-

Nine this season so I man see okay so Soldier Field is chant they’re chanting we want Fields DJ Moore’s come out said I don’t want anybody else to be in my quarterback the defense has played lights out the last several weeks with Montes sweat at one of those bookend positions Devonte Adams

Is saying Antonio Pierce is the guy the locker room wants Antonio Pierce so these are these interesting decisions that really could affect the Chargers and in some of these uh potential destinations for guys like Harbaugh or a college coach or Bill bellich or Mike Rael being traded I think I know

Washington and and Carolina Carolina I don’t know if you want to play for C like that’s that’s the benefit there is I can’t imagine no matter how big the number is somebody wanted to go play for that guy or going to coach for that guy that’s that’s where that comes in yeah

Washington’s interesting you know inexplicably Arizona winning that game and Washington now sitting at the number two hole and getting either Drake May or Caleb Williams makes that a very interesting spot and and a new and new ownership uh getting Caleb Williams who played his high school football Gonzaga

In DC coming home and getting getting a blue chip coach now I think if I if I understand it correctly I believe based on the way the season ends if New England loses to the Jets and Washington loses to the Cowboys I think I think New England will

Jump Washington for the number two pick because it will come down to strength of schedule it’s interesting and so the the strength the strength of schedule is a game apart money so I I saw I think it was Steve coraki talking about this uh the Saints smoke the

Patriots the commanders beat the Falcons the Saints and the Falcons play week 18 which will determine the strength of schedule by like a game so yeah which is crazy and then and then if it’s tied then you go to head to head the commanders beat the Patriots but that

Actually hurts them because that would drop them behind the Patriots so that’s like some of the fun Intrigue at at the top of this year and the reason we we kick that around is because you know it’s the the the New England job with Robert Craft now becomes a lot more

Attractive with a franchise quarterback moving forward with either Drake May or Caleb Williams moving forward so you know what kind of owner he is you know what kind of town going to how much they support the team and that then becomes a much more attractive job when they have

The number two pick instead of the number three or four pick but you know bill bellich is going to go out and whoop the Jets and they’re gonna end up sliding out and it’s going to be hilarious and the Patriot fans are going to be staring at yeah Drake May and then

Nope not so much that that that because there is no way that guy is losing to the Jets in what very well could be his last game as the Patriots head coach just knowing the history there that he was hired by the Jets didn’t want the job turned it

Down the Patriots trade for him and the rest is history the Patriots become a dynasty and the Jets become a laughing stock and a punching bag so they aren’t losing that game there is I if there is one bet I could make on Sunday that would be the BET unless belich is coming

Back and he and craft have already had this conversation and it’s uh let’s not let’s not mess this one up okay let’s let’s make sure and that could end up being a hot potato game where Salah is like hey we we want nothing to do with one of them quarterbacks going to New

England you guys get the win get out of there yeah exactly exactly Pat spans may be watching a lot of Jaden Daniels tape uh if that’s the case um God I it’s the the Intrigue and the fact that the Chargers have a franchise quarterback man I have to believe that that’s the

Number one ship for a coach I get to coach Justin Herbert right Count Me In right as opposed to we we think Caleb Williams is gonna be really really good he probably will be but we don’t know Drake may could be amazing he could be a Justin Herbert 2.0 we don’t know right

We don’t know Jaden Daniels or Michael pennx and all these all these guys it’s such a crapshoot in the draft but when you have an established guy and you have maybe uh the ability to to make more decisions about the personnel and you get to live in Manhattan Beach right and

You get to have a brand new facility in Elsa gundo I mean those things kind of all stack up and you look at the kind of the the land we talked about the landscape of the AFC West you know I know that the team’s going to look drastically different in terms of

Personnel and there’s some cap potential hurdles this off season but the cap goes up every year and once you make these tough decisions this year if you’re looking at this as like a A Five-Year Plan looking pretty good an to look we all want Harbaugh I know that I because

I talk to people every day and I was just out last night I was out last night and it’s everywhere it was we were you know I don’t mean to name drop but I end up going out to this this Callaway golf thing that a buddy of mine and my

Friends at Travis Matthew wanted me to go to so I go out and I run into to Bill Simmons and he’s an old friend I know him through Jimmy and and so we start chatting and as we’re talking he’s asking me about Harbaugh and you think you’re going to get Harbaugh and I’m

Like I don’t know but it certainly seems to line up it feels like the organization really wants them and and it feels like it it makes sense for him to come and who walks over and again I’m dropping more names David changen walks over who’s a good friend of bills who

Was there and he’s a huge Washington fan and he’s barking about oh no we’re getting Harbaugh they’re gonna spend all the money you can’t tell you mean to tell me he’d rather go get Herbert than get Drake May and and be able to start over and and he even likes McCarthy so

They can trade back and draft McCarthy and he can get his guy the I I bring it up to to point out they might that may be what Harbaugh wants he may he may want McCarthy and he may want Washington and he may want a fight with the the

Eagles and the Cowboys every and the Giants you know for a division every year that would certainly fit his personality and if that happens okay there are other guys out there there are other quality coaches out there that if for whatever reason it’s not Jim Harbaugh maybe it’s Dan quinnn who took

The Falcons to a Super Bowl May and won a Super Bowl as a DC with the Seattle Seahawks and has one of the best defenses in the NFL this year and who knows what’s going to happen with the Cowboys when they get into the playoffs

So it could be it could be Jim Schwarz who has managed to somehow help Kevin stefansky guide the Browns to 11 wins maybe 12 without a quarterback without the center of their offense because the defense had been so dominant maybe it’s Ben Johnson who has resurrected the Detroit Lions franchise offensively and

It’s got am man Ross St Brown is an all pro and and Jared gof is now a Pro Bowl quarterback like there are other options there are other guys that that will be available and let’s just you know what let me just kind of pull up the the standings real quick Chris because

That’s what’s interesting about this is and and I get it man I I want Harbaugh I would be Beyond excited if arbaugh is the guy but I go into standings and I’m looking at the playoff picture Miami Dolphins Mike McDaniel Jacksonville J well that’s Doug Peterson so Buffalo Bills Shawn McDermot first-time head

Coach Kevin stefansky Browns first-time head coach the Colts are right now the seven seat our old friend Shane styken the Texans if they beat the Colts demo Ryan’s first year as a head coach ends up in there who’s behind him Mike Tomlin uh Shawn pyton all behind him so Mike

Vel in the 14 hole you go to the the opposite side and you’ve got the Detroit Lions at three with Dan Campbell first-time head coach you’ve got the Eagles who were in the Super Bowl last year with Nick serani the Rams of course got McVey as a firsttime head coach and

A 32y old the Packers Matt lafur firsttime head coach like it can work it Kevin Mell with the Vikings last year with 13 wins like it can work it works it’s not the end it’s not the end all all that for some reason Jim Harbaugh decides or the Chargers

Decide that there’s just a better fit somewhere else um it’s because that’s going to happen quick I think the Harbaugh things probably win or lose the national championship that that’s going to progress pretty quickly because I think when you look at there’s there’s really no there’s no coordinators with San

Francisco the Dan Quinn thing might string it out if they make their way all the way to the championship round right that’ll that’ll take till the end of January before you’d be able to hire him Ben Johnson with the lions that could take a couple weeks but I you know Mike

McDonald with the with the Baltimore Ravens who were the one seed like there’s to me the Harbaugh thing happens pretty quick I think a team wants to blow him out of the water with a deal and and offer him you know Michigan’s offered him 10 years 12 per I think you

Can structure you know the floor is going to be 15 for him so it’s 15 per you don’t have to worry about nil you don’t have to worry about recruiting and if you want your 10 years win a Super Bowl we’ll guarantee you five you win a

Super Bowl there’s your other five we’ll lock in the other five you know because then it’s worth it so and then who are you in competition with uh you’re also in competition with probably the Raiders they’re in your division you know like if you if you

Think that pierce isn’t going to be the guy and it’s very possible that he won’t be the guy that Mark Davis just says you know what I need another big fish I’m gonna go try to get hard ball too so you’re going to be in competition with

Some of these other teams um I I think what Chargers fans and I’m sure like you say we hear these guys uh and girls all around the country on X on Instagram in person uh I I think the fact that they have gone first year head coach the last

Three years is the only reason why it’s like okay maybe it’s time to change it up like I’m with you you could very well get a Ben Johnson and he’s awesome yeah and you go to the playoffs right away you could you could very well get one of these firsttime coordinators and bring

Them in a guy like Raheem Morris who did it before and I think probably deserves a head coaching job somewhere um sure you could do that and you could have success but based on how the last three have gone and how they’ve ended really I shouldn’t say how they gone but how

They’ve ended uh that’s why Harbaugh seems so glaring and so he’s an offensive guy you know you don’t have to change offensive coordinators he’s going to he’s going to terine he’s going to determine what offense you run he’s a winner from the second he steps in the

Door what he did with San Francisco I I keep I should look it up I keep saying I think it’s 44 and 16 but what he did with San Francisco and obviously Michigan Stanford San Diego he’s won everywhere he’s gone you have no concerns he’s like like he’s Mike Tomlin

He’s Andy Reid he’s John Harbaugh these dudes that love football that just want to compete and can’t help themselves it’s all they think about that’s what you need and so that’s did work closely with Pep Hamilton in Michigan too like you know when pep was the quarterback

Coach Justin’s rookie year I mean like it’s it’s just he has NFL connections I’m not saying like pep to the to the Chargers too I’m just saying like he has NFL connections he knows oh yeah the Personnel he saw Justin personal it’s like I said to me I think it’s a

No-brainer for the team and I would assume that’s what they want it’s just whether or not he wants you we all want things you know but it takes two it takes two to dance and if if you ask him to dance there’s a chance that he says no because he wants

To dance with somebody else and that’s something that’s out of your control so you control what you can and and you make a compelling offer and you certainly feel like you’re pretty attractive with Justin Herbert and ran Slater and an AFC West that has the Raiders that has the Broncos that are

Going to cut Russell Wilson and take a $39 million cap hit on that contract this upcoming year and a Chiefs team that looked totally vulnerable all season long without you know Tyreek Hill and and certainly took a step back on the offensive line so at a fourth place schedule exactly

And a fourth place schedule the first year you’re here so let’s hope it works out so obviously man we’re we’re speculating because we we’re not there yet right we got one more game to go but a a week from today Monday we’re going to know a lot you know we’re going to

Know if Michigan is a national champion we’re going to know who needs a head coach we’re going to know some of the candidates that are out there that are out there immediately uh and probably safe to say that we will have maybe a little bit more concrete news to talk

About not saying that there’s going to be a hire mate but like you know we the speculation and stuff could be ramped up a little bit from the one thing that they tend to do is they announce who they’re interviewing so we’re going to at least get that we’re going to find

Out who they’re interested in what what what coaches are they interested in you know between between like you said the end of the season on Sunday and the next time we do this on Thursday we’ll probably have at least one maybe two coaches that have been interviewed by

Then it sucks because you don’t want to talk about this stuff right now a year ago break down the going to we’re going to Denver and in the playoffs and uh get ready for Jacksonville and you know the excitement and and all that stuff that that you know fans they live for you

Know you get to the postseason in January man there’s nothing better uh so it’s been a very disappointing season but we’re trying to push it forward with with the hope that that spring is eternal every off season and and there’s a lot to to look forward to because I I

I think whoever comes in here knows they got the quarterback and it’ll it’ll be a a nice breath of fresh air for everybody as as they kind of Turn the Page build a culture move into this new practice facility doubt and hopefully get back on

Track no doubt I’m with you 100% new fac that’s the other thing they have to sell brand new facility right next to LAX right next to Sofi LA traffic you don’t have to worry about it man you’re going to live in the South Bay and you’re

Going to be 10 minutes from the facility you’re going to be 15 minutes from Sofi you’re gonna be 10 minutes from LAX welcome to the Chargers you you’ve got a house on the beach you want to live in you or you can go up on the hill living

Living Palace veres it’s going to take you 25 minutes to get to work not an issue at all and it’s they got a lot to sell no doubt it’s an attractive job I have no doubt about it especially if you give somebody long-term security five years you know with an option for eight

Or something like that if you win a Super Bowl for one of these top tier candidates and they’re going to end up with somebody good I’m I’m excited about that future and they’re going to end up with a great draft pick and the potential for even more draft picks and

It’s what it’s going to take it’s it’s it’s gonna it’s it’s going to take a lot to to try to get this thing turned around coming off a season that that ended like this well Happy New Year guys one more game want to see these guys finish finish the

Season the right way and then we we turn the page and we get ready for a new era of Chargers football for Matt money Smith I’m Chris Hy this has been Chargers weekly powered by Microsoft Service