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Inglewood, CA, Sunday, November 17, 2024 – Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman during pregame warmups before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
After just two season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jim Harbaugh decided to split with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Almost exactly four weeks later, he has found a new home in the NFC East.
For many Chargers fans, they will be saying good riddance after Roman’s conservative approach hindered them. Justin Herbert’s numbers heavily declined in his two years with Roman, and as a result, the Chargers went after a much more ambitious play caller in former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
Now Roman will quickly get back to work as a member of the New York Giants‘ staff as John Harbaugh’s senior offensive consultant. Matt Nagy will be offensive coordinator for the team next season.
A Familiar Harbaugh Reunion
This is not the first time that Roman switched between the Harbaugh brothers in his career. The 63 year old joined the Harbaugh coaching tree as Jim’s offensive coordinator during his Stanford days. Then when Jim made the jump up to the NFL ranks with the 49ers, Roman followed him.
After Jim’s move to his alma mater Michigan, he joined the Buffalo Bills for a couple seasons before linking up with John in Baltimore in 2017. He climbed the ranks of Harbaugh’s offensive staff, ultimately becoming offensive coordinator in 2019.
Now Roman will be looking to turn around a team that finished 4-13 despite getting a potential glimpse of the future of their franchise. Jaxson Dart showed flashes of potential in his rookie season and could look for some sophomore improvement. Before a devastating season ending injury, rookie running back Cam Skaettebo was impressive as well.
A Chance at Redemption in New York
Add in the fact that Malik Nabers missed most of the season due to injury as well as left tackle Andrew Thomas, and the Giants could be a sneaky team in the NFC next season.
As for the Chargers, they believe that McDaniel not only can make the offense much more explosive, but can lure some of his former players to LA as well to make the offense a bit more dynamic. After all, having worked with some of the best players in the NFL such as Tyreek Hill and Christian McCaffrey, there could be potential additions to a Chargers offense that could immediately improve it.
For Roman most importantly, this is a shot to get back on track as an offensive play caller more than anything. The reason for this slight demotion is a seeming insistence to run bland offenses that are predicated on the run game. With the pieces in place for long term success for New York and a head coach with a ton of confidence in Roman’s abilities, there’s no reason to believe that Roman cannot redeem himself.
Still, what with a harsh exit from the Chargers, Roman certainly is not in a place where he once was as a primary head coaching candidate. Now, all that’s left for him is to try and get going with a new team, but with a familiar face guiding him.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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