The Los Angeles Chargers will be without center Tyler Biadasz for the entirety of the 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Chargers have placed center Tyler Biadasz on season-ending injured reserve per Adam Schefter, which does mean that this offensive line will be without him for the entirety of the 2026 season.
The injury occurred in the Chargers joint practice against the San Francisco 49ers earlier this past week where a defensive lineman hit Biadasz's knee in an awkward position and following that Biadasz was carted off, and now we know that he will be done for the year.
This is a very tough blow for the Chargers, especially since Biadasz wasn't able to make it to the start of the regular season.
Following last season, head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers did have a need at center after a very inconsistent performance from Bradley Bozeman in 2025. Not only was Bozeman inconsistent, but he also opted to retire which did force Los Angeles to come up with a solution whether that be in free agency, through, a trade, or even the draft.
In free agency, the Chargers signed Biadasz to a three year $30 million contract to become the new starting center. One of the main reasons Los Angeles did sign Biadasz was his consistency as far as his health goes, but also because his 2025 performance was great and was significantly much better than any other option already on the roster.
On that note, during the 2025 season, Biadasz was great as he had an overall grade of 70.8 (No. 10 among 40 Centers), a pass-blocking grade of 67.1 (No. 17 among 40 Centers), and a run-blocking grade of 71.3 (No. 12 among 40 Centers), according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, Biadasz allowed three sacks, 21 pressures, and recorded one penalty.
In terms of health, Biadasz has been very reliable as in his six NFL seasons he has played at least 15 games in five seasons with the only exception being his rookie year where he was still learning the NFL game.
So, when looking at Biadasz's consistent performance and availability, it is clear why the Chargers wanted him and why it is such a big blow for him to miss the entire 2026 season. However, Los Angeles does have a solution at the center position.
With Biadasz now out for the whole season, rookie center Jake Slaughter will now be the starter in the middle for the Chargers.
Prior to Biadasz's injury, Slaughter was the backup center and was competing for the starting left guard spot, but now he is starting center and will be communicating with quarterback Justin Herbert to ensure everyone is on the same page up front.
In college, Slaughter played in the SEC with the Florida Gators, and after being a key part of what Florida did last year, it appears that Slaughter will once again have a huge role up front, except now he will be playing at the NFL level.
The interesting part about Slaughter is the fact that he was selected in the second round with the 63rd overall pick and at one point was thought to be the starting left guard, but now he is the starting center.
At Florida, Slaughter was solid for the Gators, as he was there for all five of his collegiate seasons from 2021 to 2025. In those five seasons, Slaughter played in 51 games, which gives him a tremendous amount of experience that should prepare him well for the NFL.
At center with Florida, Slaughter had a lot of success in the run game with good blocking angles, and in the pass game, he was able to shut down defensive tackles consistently to give his quarterback enough time to get the ball out to playmakers on the perimeter.
So far, Slaughter has looked pretty good in the first two games of the preseason with the Chargers.
In the second game of the preseason against the San Francisco 49ers, Slaughter was able to play with the starters for a drive, which was a great experience to get in a live game and should be able to help him when the regular season comes around.
So, looking ahead to the 2026 season, while losing Biadasz is a tough blow, there is a reason the Chargers drafted Slaughter, and if he continues to progress, he could very well be the future for Los Angeles and provide consistent performance in the middle of the offensive line for years to come.
