LA Chargers

Shawne Merriman says the Chargers knocked it out of the park with their Jim Harbaugh hire ... telling TMZ Sports he believes his ex-team now has a feeling of, "'Hey, we can go out and win a championship now!'"

The former pass rusher was fired up when we spoke with him shortly after the Bolts named the ex-Michigan coach their new head man ... explaining to us he thinks L.A. is now a real-deal Super Bowl contender.

Merriman says the roster Harbaugh is inheriting is "the most talented team to never make the playoffs" ... and he's expecting a turnaround to happen relatively swiftly.

"If I'm Jim Harbaugh, I'm licking my chops," Merriman said. "I'm walking in there one day like somebody just handed me the keys to a Ferrari and I'm about to slam on the gas, right?"

As for the fit, Merriman previously expressed concerns about Harbaugh's ability to connect with young players at 60 years old ... but it seems those qualms have been squashed since the hiring process officially kicked off a few weeks ago.

"It's just a match made in heaven," he said. "I don't think there could've been more of a perfect storm."

Merriman also expressed gratitude that his former team passed on the opportunity to sign Bill Belichick ... believing the fit just wouldn't have worked in the City of Angels.

Cameron Dicker The Kicker looked more like Cameron Dicker The Chugger on Sunday night ... 'cause the Chargers star ripped off his shirt and gulped down an entire beer in seconds while at the Ducks game!!

The 23-year-old -- who made 94 percent of his field goal attempts for LA this season -- made the trek down to Anaheim to catch the Ducks' tilt against the Rangers ... and it didn't take long for him to send the crowd into a frenzy.

While appearing on the Honda Center's jumbotron in the second period ... he ditched his top and sucked down all of his suds while his buds joined in.

After he finished the beverage, he held up his jersey and fired up everyone in attendance.

Unfortunately for Dicker and the Ducks, the home team wasn't able to use the burst of energy to pull out a win ... Anaheim went on to lose the game, 5-2.

But, Dicker had a blast regardless ... writing on his IG page that it was all "a great time."

Ex-NFL star Marcellus Wiley is taking a firm stance on who should take over for the Los Angeles Chargers ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks Bill Belichick should NOT be the next head coach.

The Bolts job is arguably the most attractive opening in the league right now ... and many are speculating they could land a big fish like the former Patriots legend or Michigan's Jim Harbaugh if he chooses to make a return to the pros.

We asked the TV personality about those two names specifically ... and while he considers Belichick the greatest coach of all time, he says Harbaugh is the right guy for the gig.

"It's gonna be tough with the Chargers, obviously," Wiley said at LAX. "We're looking for a coach that we can look into the future with. With Belichick, how far are you going to look into the future? I don't know."

Wiley points out there's still a debate whether Belichick or Tom Brady was more responsible for the Patriots' six Super Bowl wins ... and his style of coaching may not resonate with the locker room.

Harbaugh -- who's fresh off a national championship with the Wolverines -- hasn't announced whether he will be back in Ann Arbor next season ... but Wiley thinks his postgame comments mean he's as good as gone.

As for his former team, Wiley -- who played in San Diego from 2001-2003 -- thinks they're an easy fix under Harbaugh ... making him the perfect guy to replace fired coach Brandon Staley.

"With Justin Herbert, he's top 5 talent," he added. "He just needs everybody else. First, he's gotta stay healthy and then everybody else just kinda stay healthy and stay on page. With Staley, it was fun ... but a little too much gambling. It started to cost us. People stopped believing him, the doubt creeped in, then he just lost his way. That's what happens."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce both traveled more than a thousand miles to end up in the same city ... but they spent the night apart.

Taylor's in L.A. for the Golden Globes Sunday night, and Travis is in town for Chiefs vs. Chargers around the same time.

Taylor, along with pals Brittany Mahomes and Lyndsay Bell, hit up Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Bev Hills Saturday night, sans Travis. It makes sense ... Travis is getting ready for the game, and a night out would have made the wrong kind of headlines.

They entered Spago from the back alley after leaving from Taylor's Bev Hills estate.

The lowdown from inside the restaurant ... nothing spectacular. They laughed, they talked, they ate. She apparently, was a bit preoccupied on her phone ... hmmm, wonder who she was texting?

It's highly unlikely Taylor will attend the game ... the red carpet starts at 3:30 and Travis's game starts around 2 hours earlier ... that is, unless she goes to the Golden Globes in a Chiefs jacket!

As for the girls' night out ... it was a long one. They arrived at 7:30 and left at 11.

Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen still appear to be a thing ... 'cause the actress was spotted jetting from L.A. to Buffalo on Saturday just minutes after the QB beat the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

It's unclear if the "Starving" singer -- who wore a black hoodie and a mask during her airport travels -- was in attendance for Allen's win over the Bolts while in the City of Angels, but given the time, date and place of her flight to New York ... it seems likely.

Of course, that would appear to mean she and Allen are still very much dating -- this after they were first seen together in the spring.

You'll recall, the two had a bit of a romantic dinner date in May that was captured on camera -- and a few weeks later, they were seen packing on the PDA while vacationing in Mexico.

The couple has somehow avoided much of the public eye since -- though her flight over the weekend sure appears to indicate they're still going strong.

Allen was previously in a long-term relationship with Brittany Williams ... but they broke up following his 2022 season. Steinfeld, meanwhile, had dated Niall Horan in the past, though they split in 2018.

If Shawne Merriman was in Dean Spanos' shoes, he would NOT hire Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh to replace Brandon Staley ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks his former team needs to go younger with its next hire.

Of course, both coaching veterans have been rumored to be on the Bolts' radar following Staley's firing on Friday ... but Merriman made it clear, he would prefer it if L.A. looked elsewhere.

"The game has gotten much younger," the ex-Chargers pass rusher said. "If you look around, a lot of these head coaches are younger. They relate well to the players."

Belichick is 71 years old, while Harbaugh is 59 ... ages that Merriman obviously thinks just won't cut it when it comes to directing guys like 25-year-old Justin Herbert or 27-year-old Derwin James on the field.

But, don't get it twisted, he still loves both guys and their résumés -- he just said, "I don't know if that's the proper move in this situation."

"I really don't."

Merriman didn't have any names that he would rather hire -- though he did say he wants no part of being considered for the role ... as he's a bit preoccupied with his MMA promotion, Lights Out, which has a big event coming up on January 6.

Losing by 42 points to the lowly Raiders was apparently the last straw for Brandon Staley in Los Angeles ... 'cause the Chargers just revealed they've fired their head coach after the embarrassing defeat.

The final decision came down on Friday morning, less than 24 hours after the Staley-led Chargers were whooped, 63-21, in Las Vegas.

Bolts honcho Dean Spanos announced in addition to giving Staley the axe, he's also booting general manager Tom Telesco following the historic L as well.

"I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best," Spanos said.

"These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly -- especially when you consider the number of people they impact. We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision."

Of course, many expected these moves to come down -- because, after all, Thursday Night Football loss aside, Staley's three years as head man of the Chargers have been largely disappointing.

He piled up a mere 24-24 record in two-plus seasons despite having one of the most talented teams in the league ... and some of his losses -- including a disastrous collapse to the Jaguars in last season's playoffs -- have been soul-crushing.

In fact, Staley said in the postgame press conference Thursday night even he wasn't sure his job was safe.

Just win hydrate, baby!

Mark Davis appeared to take his water consumption very seriously during his Raiders' game against the Chargers on Thursday night -- seemingly putting away SEVEN bottles of H2O in his suite seat!!!

Davis' eyebrow-raising beverage choices were brought to light at some point during Vegas' win over the Bolts ... when cameras captured him at Allegiant Stadium with an insane number of empty bottles lined up on a ledge in front of his luxury box chair.

It's, of course, unclear whether he was the one who put them all away or if it was a team effort with others nearby ... as Davis was only seen sippin' from a cup on camera. Although it's probably a safe bet to assume he at least had most of them.

Social media users had plenty of fun with the sight -- with one writing on X, "Mark Davis out here collecting water bottles like they're infinity stones."

Another user said simply, "Mark Davis f***ing loves water."

Los Chargers están en último lugar de la tabla y prácticamente todo el mundo cree que es inevitable que el entrenador Brandon Staley pierda su trabajo y de acuerdo con Antonio Gates, uno de los mejores jugadores en la historia de la franquicia, eso sería un error.

TMZ Sports se encontró con el jugador a principios de esta semana en Los Ángeles, quien pasó sus 16 temporadas en los Bolts, y le preguntamos si era hora de que Staley de un paso al costado después de otra temporada decepcionante en el sur de California.

"Yo personalmente no creo que [el entrenador deba ser despedido]", nos dijo Antonio Gates.

El candidato al Salón de la Fama explicó su razonamiento: "Solo por la relación que tiene con los jugadores. ¿Puedes conseguir que los chicos jueguen para ti? Siento que Staley tiene una buena relación con los jugadores, y creo eso porque he estado en ese vestuario".

Staley ha sido el entrenador desde la temporada 2021 y aunque el equipo está lleno de talentos, incluyendo la estrella Justin Herbert, el equipo ha tenido dificultades para conseguir éxitos en la post temporada. La temporada pasada, los Chargers, con 10 victorias, perdieron ante los Jaguares de Jacksonville en la ronda de Wild Card, y este año ha sido un desastre.

Las cosas han ido tan mal para el equipo 4-7, que la conversación sobre quién podría sustituir a Staley es casi constante después de su casi garantizada desaparición y Bill Belichick está a menudo en la parte superior de la lista.

Las cosas no van precisamente bien para el entrenador ganador de 6 Super Bowl (8 en total) en la otra costa. Según los informes, Bill y el propietario Robert Kraft han tenido tensiones y no es una locura pensar que Belichick se alejará o incluso será despedido después de la temporada 2023.

Le preguntamos a Gates si cree que Belichick encajaría bien en Los Ángeles.

"Creo que Belichick es un ganador histórico y probado. ¿Por qué no sería bueno para cualquier equipo? No sé cómo sería ahora la transición de los entrenadores de la vieja escuela. Yo vengo de esa mentalidad de la vieja escuela, pero no sé si estos chicos pueden comprometerse con ese estilo de juego. No estoy seguro. No lo sé".

"Pero lo que sí sabemos es que es un ganador probado. Simplemente, no sé si su estilo de juego todavía se considera valioso en la Liga Nacional de Fútbol".

A los Chargers les quedan 6 partidos, incluyendo un enfrentamiento con los Pats este domingo.

The Chargers are in last place and virtually everyone believes it's a foregone conclusion head coach Brandon Staley will lose his job ... and that'd be a mistake, according to Antonio Gates, one of the greatest players in franchise history.

TMZ Sports ran into the 8x Pro Bowler earlier this week in L.A., who spent all of his 16 seasons as a pro with the Bolts, and asked him whether it was time Staley got the ol' heave-ho after another disappointing season in SoCal.

"Ya know, I don't personally think [the coach should be fired]," AG told us.

The Hall of Fame candidate explained his reasoning ... "Just because of the relationship he has with the players. I'm big on, 'Can you get the guys to play for you?' I feel like Staley has a rapport with the players, and I believe in that particularly because I've been in that locker room."

Staley's been the HC since the 2021 season ... and while the squad is chock full of talent, including star QB Justin Herbert, the team has struggled to find any postseason success. Last season the 10-win Chargers lost to the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round, and this year has been a disaster.

Things have been so bad for the 4-7 squad, there's near-constant talk about who could replace Staley after his all-but-guaranteed demise ... and Bill Belichick is often at the top of the list.

Things aren't exactly going smoothly for the 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach (8 total) on the other coast, either. Bill and owner Robert Kraft have reportedly had tension, and it's not crazy to think Belichick walks away or even gets fired after the 2023 season.

We asked Gates if he believed Belichick would be a good fit in Los Angeles.

"I think Belichick is a proven, historical winner. Why wouldn't he be good for any team? I don't know how the old-school coaching would transition now. I come from that old-school mentality, but I don't know if these guys can commit to that style of play. I'm not sure. I don't know.

"But we do know what we know is that he's a proven winner. I just don't know if his style of play is still considered valuable in the National Football League."

The Chargers have 6 games remaining … including a matchup with the Pats this Sunday.

Antonio Gates says he feels like he belongs in the Hall of Fame ... and he tells TMZ Sports if and when he gets in, Julius Peppers should be there right alongside him!!

The two NFL legends were officially named semifinalists for the highest honor in professional football earlier this week ... and when we saw Gates out in LA on Tuesday, we had to get his thoughts on it all.

The former Chargers tight end said he was stoked for the recognition, calling it a "dream come true" -- before adding that he was pretty sure when the final cutdown comes, he'll make it.

"I feel like, mentally," he said, "I belong in there."

As for the rest of the 24 semifinalists, Gates said he could make a case for just about every player on the list ... though he specifically said Peppers definitely deserves the nod.

Some other names who will be considered for the class of 2024 include legends like Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester -- three guys Gates said should get long looks for the Hall's final cut next year too.

The list of 25 will be pared down to 15 finalists soon ... before the Class of 2024 is officially revealed at "NFL Honors" in February.

Antonio Gates dice que se siente como pertenece en el Salón de la Fama y le dice a TMZ Sports que cuando llegue el momento, Julius Peppers debería estar allí junto a él.

Las dos leyendas de la NFL fueron nombradas oficialmente semifinalistas para el más alto honor en el fútbol profesional a principios de esta semana, y cuando vimos a Gates en Los Ángeles el martes, pudimos escuchar sus impresiones al respecto.

El ex tight end de los Chargers dijo que estaba emocionado por el reconocimiento, llamándolo un "sueño hecho realidad" antes de añadir que estaba bastante seguro de que cuando llegue el corte final, lo hará.

"Siento que, mentalmente", dijo, "pertenezco ahí".

En cuanto al resto de los 24 semifinalistas, Gates dijo que podría hacer un caso para casi todos los jugadores en la lista, aunque dijo específicamente que Peppers definitivamente merece el guiño.

Algunos otros nombres que se considerarán para la clase de 2024 incluyen leyendas como Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson y Devin Hester. Tres chicos que Gates dijo que deberían acaparar las miradas para el corte final del Salón el próximo año también.

La lista de 25 se reducirá a 15 finalistas pronto antes de que la Clase de 2024 se revele oficialmente en "NFL Honors" en febrero.

Los Angeles Chargers superfan Merrianne Do is turning her viral Monday Night Football appearance into a keepsake -- she's getting her very own bobblehead!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Do has teamed up with the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum to release limited-edition mementos -- depicting the wide range of emotions she showed while watching the Bolts take on the Dallas Cowboys last month.

Fans who want to snag one of the 2,023 bobbles can choose from nervous, sad, happy, angry, and angry with red eyes versions for $30 each ... or get the whole set for $125.

The Bobblehead H.O.F. threw together an artist rendering of what the finished product will look like ... showing an 8-inch, mini Do wearing a blue jersey.

"I'm super thrilled and can’t believe my game-day reactions are turning into bobbleheads!" Merrianne said of the business move. "I think many sports fans can relate to one of more of these roller coaster emotions, and the fact that they are being encapsulated into bobbleheads is so fun!"

Of course, Do's popular fandom was the talk of social media for days ... with many questioning whether she was a paid actor.

Do previously told us that couldn't be farther from the truth ... as she simply just loves the hell outta her team.

No, Aaron Rodgers wasn't carrying a bong around with him at the Jets' game despite some heavy online speculation ... recently speaking out to clear the hazy air.

The Jets quarterback set the internet alight when he was filmed on the sidelines accidentally dropping a box, and causing what many thought appeared to be a large glass bong to fall out. Of course, this gave way to heavy speculation online, as Aaron's never been one to shy away from mind-altering substances.

However, during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" Thursday, Aaron said the glass object was actually just an uber-fancy bottle of tequila he had been gifted.

"Shout out to bongs everywhere ... but that was not one of them," he amused in an apparent swipe at those online hoping the potential smoking pipe would propel him into a fresh controversy.

On the subject of online chatter, he also ridiculed the bong conspiracy as "weak" ... joking that if he was on the other end, he'd have guessed dolphin semen was in the beaker.

Travis Kelce knows he's doing the right thing in dating Taylor Swift ... and it's all thanks to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid giving his stamp of approval on the relationship.

Big Red gave a glowing review of the pop superstar following the Chiefs' big win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday ... saying "Taylor can stay around all she wants" as Kelce continues to ball out every time she attends his games.

Travis addressed Reid's comments on his "New Heights" podcast with his brother Jason on Wednesday ... saying the coach's endorsement is a good sign.

"I love Coach Reid, man," Taylor's boo said. "What a guy. Listen, when you’re getting Big Red’s approval and blessings, you know you’re doing something right."

Of course, Jason noted Travis' stats see a huge spike whenever T. Swift comes around ... saying he averages nearly 100 yards a game when she's present, and just 46.5 when she skips.

Kelce laughed it all off ... saying there's no way he couldn't know about Taylor's impact on his game -- considering everyone's talking about it on social media.