Does Liam Eichenberg Make Sense for the Chargers?

One of the Los Angeles Chargers’ top priorities this offseason is fortifying the offensive line to better protect franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, and with veteran lineman Liam Eichenberg being released by the Miami Dolphins on Monday, he could emerge as a versatile and reliable option for the Bolts.

Eichenberg was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Dolphins out of the University of Notre Dame. During his final collegiate season in 2020, he won the Jacobs Blocking Award—given annually to the ACC’s top blocker—while also earning Consensus All-American honors and First-Team All-ACC recognition.

The 28-year-old spent four seasons in Miami from 2021 to 2024, allowing 18 sacks and 124 total pressures across 2,283 pass-blocking snaps throughout his career to this point. Eichenberg missed the entire 2025 season after being placed on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list due to a chronic leg and knee injury that caused significant weight loss and required him to walk in a brace. The severity of the injury was such that his NFL future was in doubt.

If Eichenberg is healthy enough to return in 2026, he could emerge as an intriguing option for Los Angeles because of his positional versatility. The veteran has logged snaps at all five offensive line spots during his career, including 964 at left tackle, 702 at left guard, 653 at center, 1,182 at right guard and 164 at right tackle with Miami.

This wouldn’t be a signing that automatically fixes the Chargers’ offensive line issues, nor would it prevent the team from continuing to invest in the unit through the draft or additional free-agent moves. However, adding a veteran with experience across multiple positions could provide valuable insurance for a group that has struggled with both injuries and inconsistency in recent years. The ability to plug in a player who has logged meaningful snaps at every spot along the line offers flexibility on game days and stability over the course of a long season. Even if he begins the year in a depth role, that versatility could allow the coaching staff to adjust on the fly without a significant drop-off in protection—something that has proven costly for Los Angeles in past seasons.

It would likely need to be a one-year, team-friendly prove-it deal for Eichenberg given the uncertainty surrounding his recovery from a potentially career-altering injury. Still, it could represent a low-risk, high-reward move for the Bolts as they look to reinforce an offensive line that was the team's biggest weakness this past season.