Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley had a lot of explaining to do after his team season-ending defeat to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Rather than sit his starters because they had already clinched a playoff berth, Staley decided to play his starters, which led to wide receiver Mike Williams injuring his back. Now, Williams will be unable to play in this weekend’s playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When asked does he regret making the decision to play his starters, Staley offered this explanation on Friday.
“I stand behind what we did in that football game,” Staley said, via Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times. “All my players are really important to me. There were a lot of players that were playing in that game that were in harm’s way. That’s just the nature of football.”
Staley apparently just wanted to keep the team’s positive momentum going into the playoffs.
“It’s very difficult to decide who plays and who doesn’t and who’s more valuable than the rest. What you’re trying to do is set a standard for your program about how you do things. That’s what I believe in. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt in that game, regardless of their status, because everybody’s important.”
Despite what he said, Staley still pulled some of his starters after Williams’s injury, including quarterback Justin Herbert. It will be interesting to see if Williams’s injury will affect the Chargers in this pivotal game.
