“Justin Herbert trade demand incoming!” - NFL fans push for Chargers QB to ditch AFC West in response to GM's farewell

Justin Herbert is salivating at the prospect of leaving the LA Chargers, it seems.

On Saturday, over a week after he was fired in the wake of a 21-63 loss at the equally mediocre Las Vegas Raiders, former general manager Tom Telesco issued a lengthy statement expressing his gratitude for serving the franchise for over a decade:

Yet the notion above was what some of his detractors could think of:

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What does the future hold for Justin Herbert, Chargers? John Spanos responds

Unfortunately for said detractors, it will be a long time before Justin Herbert is seen wearing a different jersey. The five-year, $262.5-million extension he signed during the offseason (then the most lucrative in league history) has a no-trade clause, effectively keeping him in Inglewood for the entire 2020s.

Once he returns from his finger injury in 2024, however, the LA Chargers will have some massive personnel decisions to make. Particularly on offense, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Rashawn Slater will be entering the final year of their current contracts, while Gerald Everett will be a free agent.

Speaking to reporters last Monday at Hoag Performance Center, the team's practice facility, President of Football Operations John Spanos emphasized that building around their star quarterback remained an utmost priority:

"Providing Justin with all the resources to help him be his best, and the team be its best, is without question a No. 1 priority. I'm very grateful Justin is here, I believe in him, I'm excited for his future."

But what about successors for Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco? Both of them arguably had to go after the disaster of Dec. 14, but caretakers Giff Smith and JoJo Wooden may not be the long-term solution.

Spanos promised that no expenses would be spared in the search for permanent replacements:

"I think right now, what behooves us is to cast a wide net, keep an open mind... everything is a possibility. There have been no discussions internally about there being a max [dollar amount]. We're always going to do what's in the best interest of the team."

However, he did hint that after three consecutive positional first-timers, the franchise might seek a veteran as head coach:

"I do think there's value in previous head coach experience. We all recognize that it helps having been through it before. I don't think it can be the end all, be all... But absolutely, we'll factor in that. That's an added bonus."

As of this writing, the Chargers trail the visiting Buffalo Bills 10-14 at halftime. The game can be seen on Peacock and NBC's affiliate stations KNBC (Los Angeles) and WGRZ (Buffalo).