Way-too-early 2021 NFL Power Rankings: Rams, Packers, Chiefs chasing Buccaneers

There aren’t too many coaches who have had the rise that Brandon Staley has. The former defensive coordinator for John Caroll made the jump from Division III to the Chicago Bears when they hired him to coach their linebackers. He did this for two seasons in The Windy City before taking on the same role with the Denver Broncos in 2019.

In 2020, Staley rose to prominence when Sean McVay hired him as the replacement for Wade Phillips as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator. Staley led the Rams to the No. 1 defense in the NFL in terms of yards and points (per Pro Football Reference) and that led to him landing a gig with the team the Rams shared a stadium with — the Los Angeles Chargers.

Staley has had a meteoric rise and it’s fair to ask if it’s too much too quick. It’s also fair to wonder if the league is still overly infatuated with Sean McVay. There was a craze for a while where it seemed like anyone who ever spent a day working with McVay was the next hot head coaching commodity.

Having said all that, Staley got it done in 2020 for the Rams and if he can get the Chargers defense to play well, they can be a dangerous team. With Justin Herbert leading the offense, they can score with anyone, and if Staley can stop opponents from putting up points, it could be a recipe for success.