Chargers GM never considered firing Staley: 'He's got our full support'

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said Thursday that he never considered firing head coach Brandon Staley despite the team's epic playoff collapse in the wild-card round, according to Ava Brand of ABC7.

"The front office's belief in Brandon hasn't changed," Telesco said. "He's got our belief, our players believe in him. He's a tremendous leader, he's detail-oriented, and he's a fighter. That's the type of people that I want to be with me. … I understand the season didn't end quite the way we would've liked it, but he's got our full support."

Staley faced heavy criticism through most of the 2022 season. Pressure on him mounted after Los Angeles blew a 27-point lead to lose the wild-card round 31-30 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history.

"Disappointing end of the season, obviously, losing in the playoffs," Telesco said. "(We were) 10-7 going into the playoffs, feeling pretty good that we can make a run. To lose in the opening week of the playoffs. Any playoff loss is painful, but losing in the first round is difficult, and the manner in which we lost just stings a little bit more."

He added, "(Fans are) dying for a championship just like we are, so you have that little feeling of letting people down. I will say this: Our current team of players and our coaches are really mentally tough people, and that's not by accident. That's intentional. That's the type of people we bring in here, it's important to us because you have to be able to withstand these types of situations. … That's what we're gonna work on this offseason. We're gonna lick our wounds a little bit here and then rise and fight again."

The Chargers, who averaged 23 points per game this season, fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shane Day on Tuesday.

"We'll have a new coordinator this year," Telesco said. "I don't think we ever wanna play scared where we don't want to make a change because we're afraid of how that change may affect. We're trying to get better."

Telesco, who became the Chargers' general manager in 2013, hired Staley in 2021 to replace Anthony Lynn. Los Angeles posted a 19-15 record over the last two seasons, making one playoff appearance.