Jon Gruden's NFL Future May Hinge on AJ Smith's Fate with the San Diego Chargers

After a second straight season with no playoffs, the San Diego Chargers may be done with General Manager A.J. Smith.

In the event that happens, though, it could mean a move for Jon Gruden from the press box back to the sidelines.

According to Kevin Acee of SignOnSanDiego.com, Smith is expected to be scooped up immediately by the St. Louis Rams should the Chargers fire him. In the event that happens, Smith might then bring along Gruden to replace Steve Spagnuolo as the Rams' new head coach.

Acee is reporting that Gruden is already planning to return to coaching in 2012. Also, that ESPN is already searching for a replacement in the Monday Night Football broadcast booth.

While Smith getting fired and subsequently going to St. Louis isn't a sure thing, the move would be a sensible one.

There have been plenty of backlashes after a team as talented as the Chargers were eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Head Coach Norv Turner is almost certain to get his walking papers this offseason, but Smith bears blame as well since he hired Turner.

Smith also seems to have ignored the offensive and defensive trenches in favor of flashy skill-position players. While this gives the Bolts plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, it makes it very difficult to succeed when the team is getting blown off the ball at the point of attack.

Even so, Smith has proven to be a keen evaluator of talent, meaning he would be a great fit with the Rams. St. Louis entered the season with great promise after missing out on the NFC West title due to a tiebreaker this year. However, things seemed to go wrong from the start.

Quarterback Sam Bradford had dealt with tons of injuries, and took a step back after an exceptional rookie campaign. Also, the offensive line gave him very shoddy protection most of the time. The defense was an absolute disaster, particularly against the run.

Provided the Rams lose to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17, they will finish with two wins. And likely hold the first or second-overall pick in the NFL Draft, depending upon how the Indianapolis Colts fare against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This would be an ideal situation for Smith and Gruden as the team already has some solid talent. The first pick in particular would either allow the Rams to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and trade him for a ton of assets, or keep him and trade Bradford for what would likely be a solid return.

Either way the Rams have great potential to load up with some top prospects during the offseason. Not only should that reinvigorate the fan base after an incredibly disappointing season, but Gruden's arrival would have the NFL world abuzz.

Say what you will about Gruden being a bit of a goofball, but he has a track record of success in terms of nurturing young quarterbacks and his overall results as a head coach.

Gruden is far from conventional. He has an excellent offensive mind and is a Super Bowl Champion, which are two things the Rams could really benefit from.

Until Smith is actually let go, this may all be nothing more than speculation. However, Smith and Gruden have a friendly relationship and seem like a great match.

Gruden has been entertaining in the broadcast booth, but he is still a coach at heart. So I could certainly see him jumping at the chance to join Smith in St. Louis.