The Los Angeles Chargers are undergoing a ton of change, and that starts with attempting to nail down Jim Harbaugh as the team’s new head coach.
On Tuesday,, NFL Insider Mike Garofolo said things were projected to move quickly ahead of Harbaugh’s second interview with the team.
“This feels like we are now in the zone where something could happen with Him Harbaugh and the Chargers in the near future,” Garofolo said. “My understanding is there is an extremely strong offer they have made to him financially.
They are now at the point to where they are going to discuss staffing, obviously when it comes to general manager and the coaching staff, who’s going to work alongside Harbuagh as well, so this feels like it’s advancing to the point where if everybody is comfortable with a lot of the principle factors at play, that this team could move on Jim Harbaugh and try to get him under contract here in the near future.”
It sure sounded like Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers would reach a deal, but as of Wednesday, noting is set in stone following the interview according to Ian Rapoport.
Geraopolo added he didn’t envision Harbaugh using this as a ploy to maximize a new deal at Michigan.
“That feels like where we are, it doesn’t feel like Harbaugh is just toying with the NFL to try to get Michigan to agree to something to jump back to college. This has felt like Harbaugh has had is eyes locked on the NFL and this could be the move in the near future, to Los Angeles, back to California, where he’s coached before where he’s played before, where he would be comfortable. “
While it’s still likely Harbaugh becomes the next head coach of the Chargers, he will inherit a roster with plenty of talent, but it could also be without two of its biggest recent stars according to Bleacher Report.
Los Angeles Chargers Could Part Ways With Joey Bosa In 2024
Harbaugh has found a way to produce great defenses everywhere he’s been, and there have been reports he would bring his defensive staff from Michigan to the NFL if he takes the job.
Either way, Bleacher Report projects the Chargers moving on from one of their biggest defensive stars in 2024 to free up salary cap space.
Here’s what B/R said:
Before the 2023 season began, Los Angeles Chargers edge-rusher Joey Bosa told reporters that while individual honors are all well and good, what really matters to him at this point in his career is wins and losses:
“As I get older, the opportunities get smaller and smaller. When you’re a rookie, you have your whole career ahead of you.
“The personal goals and the personal accolades, I feel like, as you get older, just don’t quite mean as much. Obviously, winning Defensive Player of the Year would be an honor and all of that, but going out there with your team, with your friends, with your brothers that you’ve built the connection with, I think is a much more lasting accomplishment.”
He got neither. The 28-year-old again struggled with injuries and missed eight games. The Chargers endured a five-win mess of a season that got head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco fired. Those five wins were L.A.’s fewest since 2019.
The Los Angeles Chargers is in a similar position as the Raiders—not good enough to be considered contenders, but not bad enough to be a ground-up rebuild. It’s also already projected to be $45.8 million over the salary cap so Joey Bosa could end up getting released.
Only one player on the roster (fellow edge-rusher Khalil Mack) carries a higher cap number in 2023 than Bosa. And while they would be left with an eight-figure dead cap hit after trading Bosa, they could save $22 million against next year’s cap by doing so after June 1.
The sticking point here would be compensation. Normally, an elite edge-rusher in the prime of his career would fetch a significant haul of players and/or draft picks. But Bosa has missed at least four games in four of the past six seasons.
If the best ability is availability, then Joey Bosa’s lack of it can only drive down what teams are willing to give for the eight-year veteran—potentially to the point that it’s no longer worth it for the Los Angeles Chargers to move him.
