The Los Angeles Chargers today agreed to terms with Joe Hortiz as the organization's general manager. Hortiz will oversee all player personnel and scouting matters, including free agency and the NFL Draft. He most recently was the director of player personnel for the Baltimore Ravens from 2019-23 after holding a variety of roles while advancing through Baltimore's personnel department. Hortiz's introductory press conference will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, with more details to follow.
"Joe is one of the most respected player evaluators and personnel minds in the league whose contributions to the Ravens front office over the past two decades cannot be overstated," said President of Football Operations John Spanos. "When you consider his football IQ, eye for talent, ability to think both short and long term as it pertains to roster construction, organization, thoroughness and ability to be creative within the confines of our collective bargaining agreement, it's hard not to be excited about the future. Factor in his experience working with two of the best in the business in Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta and the consistency of performance that their teams have achieved, Joe is without a doubt the right person to help Coach Harbaugh and his staff build a team that will make Chargers fans proud."
Hortiz, who helped build Baltimore's Super Bowl XLVII-winning roster, brings 26 seasons of NFL experience to Los Angeles, along with a track record of building complete teams through the draft and free agency. As one of the chief personnel evaluators for the Ravens over the last five seasons, Hortiz has helped the organization compile rosters to make the playoffs in four of those seasons and posted a 56-27 record in that span, including a league-best mark of 13-4 in 2023.
"When you've had the privilege of working with one organization your entire career, something that's exceedingly rare in our business, the opportunity and fit has to pretty much be perfect to consider a change," said Hortiz. "This is that opportunity — the Chargers' brand, the uniforms, foundational building blocks already on the roster, a new training facility, SoFi Stadium and a clear commitment from the Spanos family to dedicating every resource possible towards bringing a Lombardi trophy home to our fans; it's all there. Then of course, having known the Harbaugh family for all these years and the chance to continue that special relationship in this new role, I truly could not be more fortunate."
Hortiz helped run a Baltimore personnel department for the last five seasons that drafted five players that went on to earn Pro Bowl recognition. He was part of a staff that traded for linebacker Roquan Smith in 2022 and defensive end Calais Campbell in 2020, as well as signed key pieces like outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and guard Kevin Zeitler. In his first season as a director of player personnel in 2019, Hortiz helped compile a roster that posted a 14-2 record, the best in franchise history.
In 10 years (2009-18) as Baltimore's director of college scouting, Hortiz's eye for talent was on display, as he oversaw a process that ended up drafting 13 players to combine for 25 Pro Bowls and six Associated Press first-team All-Pro selections. Hortiz had a lasting impact on the organization from 2009-23 after his role expanded, as the Ravens drafted 18 Pro Bowlers and seven AP first-team All-Pros in that time. He helped bring in eventual five-time AP first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker as an undrafted free agent in 2012, as well as select some of the top players in the NFL in recent memory, capped by the 2018 draft class that included tight end Mark Andrews and quarterback Lamar Jackson, who earned league MVP honors in his second season.
Hortiz got his start with the Ravens as a personnel assistant in 1998, working in that role until he became an area scout for the team from 2001-05. He then became a national scout for three seasons (2006-08), with a focus on the eastern half of the country, helping the team select quarterback Joe Flacco in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, who went on to eventually be named Super Bowl XLVII MVP. Hortiz graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in accounting, working as an undergraduate assistant coach for the Tigers football team from 1995-97. Hortiz and his wife, Jennifer, have four sons — Joey, Jack, Jameson and Julian.
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