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Kris Rhim, ESPN
LOS ANGELES — The Chargers have finalized a deal to hire Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as their general manager, sources told Adam Schefter.
The Chargers and Hortiz agreed to the deal late Monday night, according to Schefter.
Hortiz will be paired with new coach Jim Harbaugh, who was hired by the team last week.
Hortiz, 48, has been with the Ravens for the past 26 years, beginning as a football personnel assistant and holding his current role since 2019. As director of player personnel, he oversees both college and pro scouting for the Ravens, helping general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh, Jim’s brother.
In Jim Harbaugh’s last NFL stint, with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, he had a fractured relationship with general manager Trent Baalke and the team’s leadership, leading to his departure to Michigan before his contract ended.
Hortiz and Harbaugh’s relationship will be among the biggest questions that Harbaugh and the team’s leadership will have to answer — most importantly, who has the final say in personnel decisions.
Hortiz began his NFL career in 1998 in what the Ravens call their “20-20 club,” which refers to hiring 20-year-olds for $20,000.
In 2009, Hortiz became the Ravens’ director of college scouting after spending eight years as an area scout. He was promoted to director of player personnel in 2019.
Baltimore has been known for its talent evaluation. Since their inaugural season in 1996, the Ravens have had 30 drafted players reach the Pro Bowl, including an NFL-best 17 first-round selections.
Hortiz replaces Tom Telesco, who was the Chargers’ general manager for the past 11 seasons. Telesco, along with coach Brandon Staley, was fired Dec. 15, a day after the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Chargers 63-21. Telesco has since been hired by the Raiders as their new general manager.
Harbaugh and Hortiz will be tasked with turning around a Chargers team that finished 5-12 this season and is projected to be $54.2 million over the salary cap next season.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com