Chargers Rumors: Bills' Brian Daboll Favored to Land LA's Head Coach Job

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is reportedly the "favorite" to take over as the Los Angeles Chargers' new head coach.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday the Chargers are waiting for the Bills' playoff run to end so they can begin formal negotiations with Daboll, who emerged as their top choice after nine interviews for the vacant position.

It's a potential circle-of-life moment for Daboll and Bolts general manager Tom Telesco, who in the early 1990s both attended and played football on the same team at Saint Francis High School outside of Buffalo, a mere 15-minute drive from Bills Stadium.

His hire would likely be less to do with their days playing together for the Red Raiders and more about his ability to help L.A. quarterback Justin Herbert take the next steps toward stardom after a strong rookie campaign.

Daboll deserves a lot of credit for the development of Bills signal-caller Josh Allen, who made a massive leap in his third NFL season to vault Buffalo into title contention for the first time in 25 years.

Allen completed 69.2 percent of his throws, a 10.4 percent increase from 2019, for 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during the regular season. He added two more passing touchdowns in the Bills' playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round.

As a whole, the Buffalo offense, which ranked 30th in total yards when Allen and Daboll started their tenures together in 2018, finished second in that category in 2020.

While the former first-round pick has made steady strides, the route combinations and protection calls schemed up by the 45-year-old offensive coordinator have played a major role in his sudden rise to the MVP conversation.

Meanwhile, the Chargers' job is attractive because the two most essential elements of a title-contending roster are in place: a franchise quarterback in Herbert and a dominant edge-rusher in Joey Bosa, who fittingly recorded three sacks against Daboll's Bills earlier in the season.

L.A. has several other impact players under contact for 2021, a group led by running back Austin Ekeler, wide receiver Keenan Allen and cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Chris Harris Jr., so the team is closer to a significant breakthrough than its 7-9 record may suggest.

It raised questions about why the Bolts' job remained available as other teams began hiring their new coaches, but the answer has received some clarity: they are waiting on Daboll.

The Bills face the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round Saturday night. Whether their run ends against Lamar Jackson and Co. or extends through the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl, it sounds like the Chargers are ready to make a formal offer a short time later.