Chargers LB takes shot at Brandon Staley amid Jim Harbaugh turnaround

Chris Roling | Nov 18, 2024

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Los Angeles Chargers

NFL coaches losing a locker room is a very real thing—just look at the difference between Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers and the Chargers under Brandon Staley.

Staley, fired last December, is on the minds of fans and even current Chargers players nearly one year later.

All because of a birthday.

Breakout Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley issued this message on social media after the team’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11: “Went from no happy birthday to Endless happy birthday I Love Bolt fam always had my back”

It might not sound like a big deal, but Henley was right in the middle of the storm around Staley losing the locker room one year ago.

An excerpt from Kris Rhim of ESPN’s excellent tell-all on the Staley drama explains: “In a team meeting on Nov. 16, Staley projected birthday graphics for linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., defensive tackle Jerrod Clark and guard Jordan McFadden on a video screen, but only said happy birthday to Murray in the meeting, according to a team source who was present. After practice two days later, Staley said happy birthday to offensive guard Zion Johnson in front of the team. Multiple players mentioned that it was also rookie linebacker Daiyan Henley's birthday, to which Staley replied, "’and Daiyan, too,’ in a dismissive way, before quickly wrapping up practice, according to team sources.”

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh

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It’s a little thing, but lots of those little things sprinkled throughout a handful of years within a split locker room add up. In this case, it ended in the Chargers eating a 63-21 beatdown at the hands of the rival Las Vegas Raiders on primetime to get Staley fired.

Chargers fans need just one look at the culture overhaul pulled off by Harbaugh to know that, indeed, no birthdays are going overlooked this time.

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