Chargers block OC Kellen Moore from interviewing with Bears

Kellen Moore joins Ryan Ficken as another coach the Chargers have blocked from interviewing with other NFL teams.

Despite the underwhelming 2023 season for the Chargers, those around the league outside of the franchise apparently understand that some parts of the team did their jobs well and deserve either a second chance in LA or a chance to succeed elsewhere.

Not long ago the Chargers blocked special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken from interviewing for the same position with other teams. On Sunday night, the Chargers reportedly did the same for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore who received a request from the Bears to interview for their vacant position.

In his first year with the Chargers, Moore started hot with a massive 234-yard rushing effort against the Dolphins in the season opener. The ground game never quite looked the same after that as they finished 25th in the category while averaging less than 100 yards per game.

The passing game looked good for the most part but obviously took some major hits with injuries to Mike Williams (torn ACL in Week Three), Josh Palmer (missed seven games), and Jalen Guyton (missed first nine games from torn ACL in 2022). They ended the regular season ranked 13th, averaging 232.8 yards per game through the air. It should also be noted that Justin Herbert missed the final four games of the season after breaking a bone in his hand against the Broncos in Week 14.

In those final four starts, Stick averaged 237.5 passing yards while throwing three touchdowns and rushing for one more.

It might seem counterintuitive to keep multiple coaches from a previous regime that failed, but this is a unique situation for the Chargers. Moore is Herbert’s third offensive coordinator in his first four NFL seasons and it’s not ideal to give him a fourth one entering year five. That continuity could be important with a new head coach.

When it comes to Ficken, the results speak for themselves. The Chargers special teams was one of the worst units in the NFL in both 2020 and 2021. The second Ficken was hired, they’ve become a top-10 unit over the past two seasons. You don’t just ditch that for the sake of a fresh start.