Chargers lose key pass rusher in free agency, creating a significant void. Now, they must scramble to rebuild their defense and find offensive line reinforcements.
NFL free agency is underway and it has come with a flood of news right out of the gate.
I had previously said that the Chargers' top two priorities heading into free agency would be signing a veteran center, which they accomplished when they signed former Washington Commanders (and Dallas Cowboys before that) center Tyler Biadasz, and shoring up the team's pass rush.
The latter had more avenues that Los Angeles Chargers GM Joe Hortiz could take, with both Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack heading into free agency. The team has already re-signed Mack on another one-year deal, but now they'll need to get creative in finding a replacement for Odafe Oweh, who signed a 4-year, $100M deal to return to the DMV as part of the Washington Commanders.
They will also be saying goodbye to Zion Johnson, who spent much of 2025 as one the Chargers starting guards along the offensive line. He signed a 3-year deal worth $49.5M with the Cleveland Browns. Between that and the team releasing Mekhi Becton, Los Angeles is currently without a guard on the roster capable of starting an NFL game.
The Chargers still have the 4th most cap space in the NFL, even after the flurry of moves today around the league, and I suspect that they will use some of that on a guard (and maybe also a pass rusher). I also imagine they'll use some of their early draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on those same two positions, as they are the two that the team has the most need for improvement.
As great at Oweh was after being traded to the Chargers in 2025, especially in their playoff loss to the New England Patriots, there is just as much evidence that he's not a $25M pass rusher than there is evidence that he is. I was always a little wary of the team signing him to a deal like the one he got, although I thought they'd just fall back on the franchise tag and they decided against that.
While he's undersized, I do think this is lines up well for the team to use their 1st round pick on an offensive guard (Vega Ioane is almost too perfect of a fit) and a 2nd or 3rd round pick on Nadame Tucker, who had 14.5 sacks under Chris O'Leary at Western Michigan last season.
That just leaves one question: What will the Chargers spend their cap space on? I think the answer is still probably a guard (since you need two to start and maybe two on the bench), but I also think this opens up the possibility of the team getting a true downfield threat that can open up space underneath for their current playmakers to take advantage of. How about San Diego's own Rashid Shaheed, who probably grew up a Chargers fan?