The Los Angeles Chargers are making changes to their coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Shane Day were fired on Tuesday, three days after the team blew a 27-0 lead in their playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Lombardi and Day both spent two seasons with the Chargers after joining the staff along with head coach Brandon Staley in 2021. The 51-year-old Lombardi is the grandson of legendary coach Vince Lombardi.
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Changes felt inevitable after the Chargers' historic playoff collapse, where the offense scored just three points after halftime and surrendered a 20-point second-half lead. Staley appears to be safe, but quarterback Justin Herbert will have a new play-caller in 2023.
Los Angeles performed decently on offense in two years under Lombardi, but many believed his conservative approach wasn't a good fit for the uber-talented Herbert. In 2021, the Chargers were No. 4 in yardage and No. 5 in scoring. Those ranks dipped to No. 9 and No. 13, respectively, in 2022 as the running game regressed (No. 30 in 2022) and Herbert was forced into shorter throws.
Herbert threw for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2021, but he totaled just 4,739 yards and 25 touchdowns this past season.
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Persistent rumors about Sean Payton replacing Staley as the Chargers' head coach should be put to rest with this announcement. Now, the team must hire the right person to unlock Herbert and this stagnant offense.
There are currently eight offensive coordinator jobs open: Chargers, Patriots, Jets, Commanders, Rams, Texans, Colts and Cardinals, with the latter three also looking for head coaches.
