NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers
USATSI

The Los Angeles Chargers will have a new face leading their offense in 2023 after the club decided to hire former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore earlier this offseason. Now, Moore is bringing some of his Dallas friends to L.A. with him as the Chargers have hired Doug Nussmeier to become the team's next quarterbacks coach, according to ESPN

Nussmeier held the same title with the Cowboys for the previous three seasons, which coincided with Dallas hiring Mike McCarthy as its head coach. Moore and Nussmeier were carryovers from the previous head-coaching staff but continued to help the Cowboys offense run smoothly as they transitioned to McCarthy. Last season, the Cowboys were a top-five scoring offense that averaged 354.9 total yards per game. 

On top of helping Dak Prescott develop over their tenures, Moore and Nussmeier can also be credited for keeping the offense afloat when Prescott went down with a thumb injury this season that thrust Cooper Rush into the starting spot under center. Over that stretch, Dallas went 4-1 while Rush boasted an 81.2 passer rating. 

As Nussmeier turns his attention to the Chargers, he'll now get to work with one of the brightest young quarterbacks that the NFL has to offer in Justin Herbert. The 24-year-old has thrown for at least 4.300 yards in each of his first three seasons and is coming off the first playoff appearance of his career last season. Herbert also had a career-high 68.2 completion percentage. That said, the offense did regress a bit under the previous regime, which led to Brandon Staley cleaning house and bringing Moore -- and now Nussmeier -- under the tent to help get L.A. back into serious playoff conversations for the years ahead. 

Nussmeier initially broke into the NFL back in 2006 as the quarterbacks coach of the then-St. Louis Rams. After dipping back into the college game -- making stops at Fresno State, Washington, Alabama, Michigan and Florida -- he reemerged onto the pro scene by coming aboard Jason Garrett's staff with the Cowboys in 2018 as the tight ends coach. He was promoted to QBs coach in 2020 and held that jump until this move to Los Angeles.