Los Angeles invested heavily in its offensive line, but a poor performance against Arizona exposed major questions that need to be answered quickly.
The Los Angeles Chargers entered the 2026 season with plenty of expectations surrounding their revamped offensive line.
After Sunday’s 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, those expectations may already need to be reconsidered.
The Bolts struggled to consistently protect Justin Herbert, with the interior of the offensive line creating problems. According to Pro Football Focus, Cole Strange posted an alarming 10.6 pass-blocking grade while allowing five pressures. Trey Pipkins III also struggled, earning a 41.4 grade while surrendering a sack and a pressure.
That is not the type of performance Los Angeles can afford, especially considering the resources it has invested into the position group.
The Chargers entered the offseason with roughly $100 million in cap space and had an opportunity to address their offensive line significantly. Instead, the Bolts entered Week 1 with significant questions at left guard after Jake Slaughter had to take over at center following Tyler Biadasz’s season-ending injury.
Those questions became even more frustrating against Arizona because of how Los Angeles handled the left guard position.
Kayode Awosika was named the starter, but the Chargers rotated him with Pipkins throughout the afternoon. Awosika actually played well, finishing with an 85.1 pass-blocking grade and allowing zero pressures.
So why continue rotating the position?
There is certainly an argument for trying to find the best combination along a new offensive line, but Awosika proved Sunday that he can hold his own. Rotating him with Pipkins, especially after Pipkins struggled, only added another layer of inconsistency to an already unsettled group.
The Chargers need to figure out what their starting five up front actually is going to be.
Second-round rookie Jake Slaughter was thrown into the starting role after Biadasz went down, and he had taken the majority of first-team reps throughout the buildup to the season. He finished with a 69.8 pass-blocking grade against Arizona and did not allow a pressure or sack.
That is not a perfect performance, but it is hardly the biggest problem on this offensive line.
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt were both solid, earning pass-blocking grades of 73.1 and 82.7, respectively. The star tackle tandem did their jobs. The problem was the instability and poor play happening between them.
Los Angeles cannot afford to spend the first several weeks of the season constantly experimenting with its offensive line.
The Chargers have a difficult schedule ahead, and Herbert needs consistency in front of him. The talent is there, but the coaching staff needs to establish the best combination and allow those players to build chemistry.
If Awosika can provide reliable play at left guard, there is an argument for simply leaving him there and letting the group develop.
Sunday’s performance was only one game, but it exposed an issue that could quickly become one of the biggest problems facing the Bolts if it isn't corrected.
