NFL Rumors: Brandon Staley Left Chargers 'Disconnected' and 'Alienated' Some Players

The writing was on the wall for former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley following his team's 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15, but there were reportedly larger issues at play before his firing.

ESPN's Kris Rhim detailed a "disconnected locker room" that was "created, in part, by a coach who often got in his own way."

According to Rhim, Staley "alienated some players" and played favorites within the locker room. Things as simple as birthday announcements revealed to players "where they stood" in the head coach's eyes.

"Guys didn't feel included; he didn't make it feel like a team," one team source told Rhim. "He kind of made it feel like a fraternity house. Certain guys are in the frat, certain guys aren't."

The Chargers are now 5-9 and playing out the string on another lost season. Despite having a roster filled with headline names and stars, they made the playoffs one time during Staley's three seasons and proceeded to blow a 27-0 lead in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The question now is where a team with, as Rhim described it "a roster full of aging stars," will turn.

"Essentially, when you fire a guy, you're saying that there's a guy out there right now who is going to set our team up with better chances to win the Super Bowl in their second or first year with a brand new team than Staley would in his third or fourth year or his fourth or fifth year?" someone with the team said. "I'm not saying it's impossible. I just feel like it's unlikely. There are more issues here."

Perhaps the next head coach will be a high-profile one, such as Michigan's Jim Harbaugh.

Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reported the Chargers are interested in the Wolverines' leader, who could be facing trouble down the line given the NCAA's multiple ongoing investigations into his program and the reality he was suspended two separate times during the 2023 campaign.

Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl during his NFL tenure, and the hope in Los Angeles would be that he could do the same.

If nothing else, it sounds like Staley left a fairly low bar for the next head coach to clear even if there isn't a Super Bowl run in store.