Former Rebels building NFL offenses, shaping quarterbacks

They are on opposite coasts but linked together like few others in NFL history.

Shane Steichen with the

Los Angeles Chargers and Scott Turner with the Washington Football Team are NFL offensive coordinators and former UNLV quarterbacks and teammates.

How often is it that the same school produces two active coordinators, much less from the same team, is unknown, only that it appears to be rare. Turner said the only comparison he was aware of is current head coaches Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns and

Joe Judge of the New York Giants who briefly attended the same Philadelphia high school together.

The two coordinators, who both still have phone numbers with the 702 area code, played for the Rebels in the early 2000s. Steichen passed for 2,755 yards. Turner’s playing time was much more limited. But they formed a lasting bond and even served in each other’s

weddings in 2012.

Being three time zones apart and in the middle of training camp make staying in regular contact difficult, but they keep in touch at least once a month.

Steichen, 35, became the Chargers’ offensive coordinator midway through last season as quarterback Philip Rivers played the last of his 16 seasons with the organization.

Who the Chargers start at quarterback remains to be seen. Veteran Tyrod Taylor is the expected starter, but the Chargers drafted Justin Herbert — who played for current UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo at Oregon — sixth overall this year.

“He’s shown some really good progress in these first couple of weeks of camp,” Steichen said of Herbert. “He’s shown that he can be a good player in this league, but he’s got to continue to progress every day and get better.”

Like their AFC West rival Raiders, the Chargers will play in a new venue, the $5 billion Sofi Stadium. They visit the Raiders at $2 billion

Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 17, with Steichen in the unusual role of being on the visiting team in Las Vegas.

“I’ll be excited to go to the new stadium,” Steichen said. “I always liked coaching at that old Oakland Coliseum. There was something about it.”

In Washington, Turner also has decisions to make at quarterback.

Alex Smith is back after suffering a broken right leg nearly two years ago that threatened to end his career. Dwayne Haskins, Washington firstround pick, 15th overall in 2019, who started seven times as a rookie, is listed first on the depth chart.

Evaluating the position has been challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out virtually the entire offseason.

“We’ve got to make the most of

every rep,” Turner said. “Yeah, we’d love to have a lot more reps than we have, but there’s nothing we can do about that. We talk all the time about a sense of urgency and how important that is. There are no wasted moments because the game on Sept. 13 (against the Philadelphia Eagles), they’re not going to move it back.”

Football has been far from the only topic in D.C. Washington dropped its nickname after 87 years over concerns Redskins was a racist term.

Turner, 38, said his focus is on what he can control, and it was coach Ron Rivera who gave him control of the offense. He was the Carolina Panthers’ quarterbacks coach under Rivera, who was impressed enough to take him to Washington.

Turner’s dad, Norv, was a longtime NFL head coach and offensive coordinator, and the two communicate daily.

“I’m fortunate to have been able to work with him for a number of years,” Scott Turner said. “I learned a lot from him.”