Chargers Group Chat: What's In Store for 2024?

Jan 10, 2024 at 02:31 PM

Eric Smith

Editorial Director

The Chargers Group Chat is back, and plenty has happened since we last conveyed.

The Bolts are currently searching for a new head coach and general manager. And they also have the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

In other words, there was plenty to discuss when we got a few of the Chargers beat writers together.

Here's what Daniel Popper (The Athletic), Jeff Miller (Los Angeles Times), Joe Reedy (Associated Press) and Eric Smith (Chargers.com) had to say:

Sum up the Chargers 2023 season.

Popper: This Chargers season was defined by missed expectations. The organization made several cap-related moves last offseason to give this version of the roster one more chance at a playoff run. The Chargers had real belief that they would be legitimate contenders. Instead, they lost eight of their final nine games, fired their head coach and general manager and have the fifth overall pick in the draft. Pretty much the exact opposite of contending. The Chargers should not have finished 5-12 given the talent on the roster. A lot of that was rooted in how many close losses the Chargers had, especially early in the season. I think offensive coordinator Kellen Moore framed it best last week when he was asked what he would take away from 2023: "It's just a good example of just how small the margins are in this league." The Chargers lost seven games by three points or less. If they get a few more breaks — like Khalil Mack recovering his sack fumble late in the loss to the Packers — we might be having a very different discussion right now.

Miller: I mean, a 5-12 finish that featured significant injuries to Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Corey Linsley; the firing of the head coach and general manager; the trading of the highest-paid cornerback; the release of a team captain; the underwhelming achievement of the first-round draft choice; a 63-7 deficit in one game; AND a loss to Blaine Gabbert! Come on, man.

Reedy: Everything that could go wrong did – injuries, 0-7 in games decided by three points or fewer, only two wins against a team's primary starting QB, some position groups taking a step back and then the team's performance on a national stage at Las Vegas.

Smith: Disappointing. Back in August, I wasn't alone in thinking the Bolts could contend for an AFC West title (and possibly more) in 2023. And even if you were more on the pessimistic side, nobody envisioned a 12-loss season. The Bolts struggled out of the gate and simply never found their footing as a team, which is why we're covering a head coach and general manager search in mid-January.

Whose on-field performance will you remember from this season?

Popper: Mack. He was the best player on the Chargers this season. He was the most consistent player on the Chargers this season. Quite frankly, it was one of the best all-around seasons I have seen from any player at any position in my time covering the league. Everyone will point to the 17 sacks. But Mack's impact stretched far beyond that. He was among the best run defenders in all of football this season. Mack was truly a pleasure to watch on tape every week, and there were not many Chargers players you could say that about this season.

Miller: Khalil Mack is the obvious answer, so I'll leave that to someone else. Keenan Allen is the second most-obvious choice. Can the performance of a kicker be memorable on a last-place team? Sure, that happened, too. But - going WAY outside the box - I'll say Gerald Everett. I'm sure fans were frustrated at times with Everett's overall play, but there's no questioning how hard he competed when he had the ball in his hands. I've never covered anyone who seemed to more consistently draw violent and car-crash-quality contact than Everett. Even on a team going nowhere, he barreled his way for every inch he gained.

Reedy: Khalil Mack's six sacks against the Raiders in Week 4, which served as the launch point to his 17-sack season. Mack seemed to be the only star player who avoided an injury and everyone saw it in his play.

Smith: Mack is the obvious choice and deserves all the kudos given to him above. I'm going to take this a different direction, however, and go with Corey Linsley. The Bolts center played in just three games before it was revealed he had a non-emergent heart issue. Linsley said Monday that he's "99 percent" sure he will retire this offseason. The center position is often goes unnoticed, but Linsley was among the best of the best in his era and was an exceptional leader for the Chargers. He'll be missed in the locker room and on the field.