Rumors of Chargers locker room 'disconnect' hint at larger problems

The firing of head coach Brandon Staley may have been necessary, but it might not be the only problem facing the Los Angeles Chargers' pursuit of building a winner. 

A source close to the team recently spoke with Kris Rhim of ESPN, revealing a "disconnect" between players in the locker room, mainly a separation of offense and defense. 

"That's a recipe for disaster," the source told Rhim. "And I don't put blame on [GM Tom] Telesco, I don't put blame on Staley or any of that. It's the players' job to do that [stuff]." 

To no one's surprise, the Chargers sent their GM and head coach packing following an embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raider in Week 15 which dropped the team to 5-9. If the source is accurate about the vibe around the locker room, though, it's an issue the new regime will have to deal with immediately. 

Teams that play together win together because talent can only take you so far. Teammates don't have to like each other – though it helps – but open lines of communication only lead to good things while barriers mostly don't. A coach can only do so much in that respect, as the onus is on the team's leaders to unite the room. 

Regarding who will fill the vacant spots left by Staley and Telesco, Chargers team president John Spanos believes the jobs are "desirable" and will draw the best candidates. 

Meanwhile, there is no shortage of possibilities for head coach, headlined by unlikely-but-dreamy options like Michigan's Jim Harbaugh. 

Whoever leads the Chargers into 2024 and beyond must first change the culture that's led to only one playoff berth over the last five seasons. They will benefit from a franchise quarterback already in tow, Justin Herbert, but it's clear the issues with the franchise go far beyond X's and O's.