While the Los Angeles Chargers keep making bold moves this offseason, a legend from the franchise just turned the spotlight back on Dean Spanos, who is still at the helm of the team. The Chargers’ owner and chairman has faced plenty of criticism over the years for controversial decisions like firing head coach Marty Schottenheimer in 2007, right after his stellar 14-2 season with the team. It’s been a long time since then; however, former Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer has reflected on that period again. 

“Marty Schottenheimer believed in me more than any person in my life. Ever!” Quentin Jammer took it to X on February 1. “Believed in my ability, my intelligence, and my physical play. He gave no sh–s about flags because he was as competitive as or more than me. That was my guy. The Chargers ruined that. Spanos had the final say…” 

The Chargers had drafted Jammer as their No. 5 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, and he anchored the team’s secondary consistently for years. He also helped the team reach five playoffs, including that memorable 2007 postseason run, which ended with a heartbreaking 24-21 AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots. 

However, just weeks after that defeat, Dean Spanos pulled the trigger and fired Marty Schottenheimer, pointing to the departures of coordinators and assistants as the reason.

But from 2002 to 2006, Schottenheimer guided the Chargers (back when they were in San Diego) to two AFC West titles and three playoff appearances. He posted a solid 47-33 regular-season record while coaching future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson and quarterback Philip Rivers in his prime.

Quentin Jammer also emerged as a solid defensive back for his team as he played under Schottenheimer during those years. 

At that time, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that sources revealed Dean Spanos axed Schottenheimer after the HC tried to bring in his brother for the open defensive coordinator job on the team.

Spanos apparently rejected the idea of hiring the HC’s brother, but Schottenheimer stood firm on his right to pick his staff. Reports also highlighted growing tension around Schottenheimer, as he had let his coaching assistants interview for other jobs without front-office approval.

“When I decided to move ahead with Marty Schottenheimer in mid-January, I did so with the expectation that the core of his fine coaching staff would remain intact,” Dean Spanos said in a statement after firing Schottenheimer. “Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, and the process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager. In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation.”

In his statement, Dean Spanos also mentioned the long-simmering conflict between Schottenheimer and his team’s general manager, A.J. Smith, which dated back to 2005 and centered on personnel choices.

Schottenheimer later admitted he had no working relationship with Smith but seemed baffled that Spanos blamed him for the staff exodus. Still, Schottenheimer commended Spanos for making a tough call and prioritizing the team.

But shortly after the AFC Championship loss, Marty Schottenheimer had also reportedly refused to sign a one-year extension through 2008, effectively ending his coaching career after that 2006 season. Similar to Schottenheimer, Jammer also had a difficult parting with the Chargers, which led him to harbor some strong feelings against the team and its owner.

Quentin Jammer’s bitterness against Dean Spanos lingers from his own Chargers exit

Quentin Jammer spent 12 seasons with the Chargers, appearing in 172 games with 721 tackles, 138 passes defensed, seven forced fumbles, and 21 interceptions. But in 2013, he ended up playing his final NFL season with the Chargers’ AFC West rivals—the Denver Broncos.

In March last year, though, Jammer opened up on social media about why he never retired as a Charger.

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“True story. I wanted to retire as a Charger, but when I offered to play my last year for the league minimum, they decided to sign Derek Cox. So while the chargers are dear to my heart, I have an absolute allegiance to fookin’ no one!! I’m just retired,” Jammer had revealed via his X post.

That 2013 offseason marked a major reset for the Chargers under Dean Spanos. After three straight seasons of not making it to the playoffs, Spanos hired Mike McCoy as the new head coach and Tom Telesco as the new GM of his team. The Chargers also cleared out veterans, and Quentin Jammer became one of the casualties at the cornerback position.

Instead of re-signing Jammer, Dean Spanos’ team handed Derek Cox a four-year, $20 million deal, far more lucrative than anything Jammer was making. But Cox’s career stats were just 12 interceptions, 32 passes defensed, and 203 tackles across 47 games at that time.

The decision to sign Cox might have made sense if he had delivered for the Chargers, but he didn’t. In 2013, Cox appeared in 16 games but managed only one interception, 7 passes defended, and 38 tackles. The Chargers cut him after that single underwhelming season.

Quentin Jammer, meanwhile, barely played for Denver and finished with just 14 tackles that year. Could he have contributed more to the Chargers than Cox did?

It sure looked that way in hindsight. Jammer never directly blamed Dean Spanos for that ending of his career, but you have to wonder: if the owner truly valued the franchise icon, wouldn’t he have found a way to let Jammer finish his career in Chargers blue? Nevertheless, it’s tough to see a player like Jammer, who gave his everything to the Chargers, feel so burned years later.