In 2023, the LA Chargers endured their worst regular-season loss, falling 63-21 to the Las Vegas Raiders, a game that ultimately led to the firing of head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
Surprisingly, a few months later, the Raiders decided to hire Telesco as their new GM, despite his track record of underwhelming results with the Chargers.
Chargers fans are now watching in amusement as Telesco continues his old habits with the Raiders. His reluctance to address roster depth—a pattern that frustrated Chargers fans for years—is already evident in Las Vegas. Despite training camp and preseason opportunities, Telesco has not made significant moves to strengthen the team’s fringes, leaving Raiders fans concerned.
While these fringe players might not be the key to a Super Bowl, they can elevate the overall performance of the team—a lesson Chargers fans learned the hard way.
Telesco’s history of passing on valuable depth players in favor of questionable draft picks remains a sore point. Meanwhile, the Chargers’ new GM, Joe Hortiz, has taken a more proactive approach, bringing in key players like Teair Tart, something unlikely under Telesco’s regime.
As Telesco’s familiar strategies begin to unfold in Las Vegas, it’s clear that the Raiders may face the same frustrations that plagued the Chargers during his tenure. However, for Chargers fans, the continuation of Telesco’s old ways is now the Raiders’ problem to solve.
