3 reasons why Los Angeles Chargers missed the 2024 NFL playoffs

The Los Angeles Chargers went to the playoffs last season. With that in mind and a young, talented quarterback on the roster, a step forward was expected this season.

Given how the Kansas City Chiefs stumbled a bit, it's fair to say that this could've been the year they challenged for that division crown and hosted a playoff game. Unfortunately, things did not at all go to plan for the Chargers.

They were not a good team whatsoever, and they missed the playoffs by a wide margin. That step forward ended up being a pretty hefty step back, and it cost them dearly. Here's why that happened.

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Why the Los Angeles Chargers failed to make the postseason

3) Brandon Staley

Brandon Staley had an argument for the worst coach in the NFL. It was evident last year after their mindnumbing postseason collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It was shocking that he retained his job after that. A defense with players like Derwin James, Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa shouldn't be as poor as theirs was. When a team has a defensive coach and they can't get the defense to play to an appropriate level, the coach is not good.

Staleu has arguably been holding back LA for a while, and that's one reason they struggled this season.

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2) Injuries

The Los Angeles Chargers had to deal with injuries.

The injuries Los Angeles had to deal with were significant. Losing Mike Williams for the year hurt a lot, as it handicapped the offense to a certain extent.

Joey Bosa, Justin Herbert, Chris Rumph, Andrew Trainer and many others landed on Injured Reserve during the season. That many key losses is difficult to deal with, especially when everything else isn't going swimmingly. It made the team thin, and they couldn't overcome it.

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1) Justin Herbert's absence

Justin Herbert was arguably the only thing holding this team together. With injuries and a poor coach, things mounted against him, but he's an excellent quarterback.

Losing a star QB like that, no matter who the backup is, often leads to missing the playoffs. Even teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals couldn't make the postseason with stellar backups who played quite well.

The Los Angeles Chargers are not equipped to withstand losing Herbert, so his IR trip put the nail in the coffin of the team's season once and for all.