San Diego Chargers hire Pete Metzelaars as tight ends coach

The San Diego Chargers announced that they have hired Pete Metzelaars to coach tight ends. The position opened when Jason Michaels took the offensive coordinator job with the Tennessee Titans earlier this month.

Metzelaars was a 16-year veteran of the NFL as a player, and played 10 seasons and four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills. He has coached in the NFL since 2004 when he joined the Indianapolis Colts staff as an offensive quality control coach. His 8-year stint with the Colts also included time spent as an offensive line coach. After leaving the Colts, Metzelaars coached tight ends for the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 season.

The Metzelaars hire makes sense as he has multiple connections with the Chargers' staff. General manager Tom Telesco would be familiar with him from his time in Indianapolis. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich and offensive line coach Joe D'alessandris would know him from Buffalo, one from his playing days and the other from his brief coaching tenure there.

Metzelaars worked with tight ends Scott Chandler and Dorin Dickerson during his one year in Buffalo. Neither had a particularly noteworthy year, but this doesn't say much of anything about Metzelaars as a coach. He'll certainly have more talent to work with in San Diego.