Los Angeles Chargers

With $45.1M in cap room ranked 3rd in the league and a near-clean cap at rank 27 in dead money, the Chargers have the financial firepower to attack multiple needs in one offseason.

24 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Five starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Six picks this draft including five in the first five rounds, plus three first-rounders over the next three years, give the Chargers genuine resources to reload even while spending aggressively in free agency.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Jets, next draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Rams, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Lions, this draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Saints, this draft

The roster's top strength is its pair of elite bookend offensive tackles in Rashawn Slater (92 overall) and Joe Alt (86 overall), while the interior offensive line, featuring guards ranked near the bottom of the league, is its most glaring weakness.

• DThigh

  The interior defensive line is a critical weakness, ranking 28th in starter quality and 22nd in depth, with Teair Tart leading a thin group.

• HBhigh

  Omarion Hampton is a promising 23-year-old starter, but the position ranks 28th at the starter level, signaling he needs support or development quickly.

• LEDGEhigh

  Akheem Mesidor starts at left edge but the position ranks 24th in starter quality and a troubling 27th in depth, making it a top offseason priority.

• LGhigh

  Trevor Penning starts at left guard but the position ranks 29th in starter quality, leaving a significant gap on what should be a strength offensive line.

• MIKEhigh

  Denzel Perryman starts at middle linebacker but is entering the final stage of his career, and the position ranks 27th in starter quality and 25th in depth.

• RGhigh

  Cole Strange holds the starting right guard spot but the position ranks 28th in starter quality, creating an interior line that is weak on both sides.

• TEmedium

  Oronde Gadsden starts ahead of David Njoku at tight end, and while depth ranks 6th, the starter quality at 25th leaves room for a significant upgrade.

• CBlow

  Donte Jackson leads the corner room with Tarheeb Still behind him, and though the group ranks 20th at the starter level, depth is a relative strength at 9th.

• WRlow

  Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston give Herbert capable options, but the group ranks 21st in starter quality, leaving room to add a true difference-maker.

• 72Bud DupreeLEDGEBud Dupree is a 72-overall edge rusher entering the twilight of his career who sits second on the REDGE depth chart behind Mack and has no starting role, and cutting him frees $2.3M against $1.5M in dead money.Frees $2.3M · $1.5M dead
• 64Trey LanceQBTrey Lance is a 64-overall backup with no path to the starting lineup behind Herbert, and releasing him frees $1.7M against just $800K in dead money.Frees $1.7M · $800.0K dead
• 64Kayode AwosikaLGKayode Awosika is a 64-overall guard who sits third on the RG depth chart, and cutting him frees $1.2M against $670K in dead money while opening a roster spot for a genuine upgrade.Frees $1.2M · $670.0K dead
• 60DJ UiagaleleiQBDJ Uiagalelei is a 60-overall third-string quarterback with no dead-money penalty, and releasing him frees $1.0M while streamlining the QB room to Herbert and a single backup.Frees $1.0M · $0 dead
• 61Hayden RucciTEHayden Rucci is a 61-overall tight end who does not appear on the active depth chart, and cutting him frees $1.0M with zero dead money.Frees $1.0M · $0 dead

The Chargers are built around Justin Herbert and one of the league's best offensive line foundations in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, giving the franchise a legitimate contention window. Ladd McConkey's Superstar development trajectory at receiver and Omarion Hampton's Star potential at running back give Herbert weapons that should grow alongside him. On defense, Derwin James Jr. remains the centerpiece of the secondary but is entering the late stage of his career, making it important to develop Genesis Smith behind him sooner rather than later. Khalil Mack continues to anchor the right edge, though he is among the oldest players at his position and cannot be counted on as a long-term fixture. The biggest obstacles to a Super Bowl run are the interior offensive line, the interior defensive line, and the middle linebacker spot, all of which rank near the bottom of the league. With $45.1M in current cap room ranked 3rd in the league and $77.2M projected next year, the Chargers have the financial runway to address multiple holes through free agency while continuing to develop their young core into a complete contender.

The Chargers were founded on August 14, 1959, and began play September 10, 1960, as a charter member of the American Football League, owned by hotel heir Barron Hilton. They played their inaugural 1960 season in Los Angeles at the Memorial Coliseum, going 10-4 under coach Sid Gillman and reaching the first AFL Championship Game (a 24-16 loss to the Houston Oilers). Poor attendance prompted a move to San Diego in 1961, where the team remained for 56 years. In San Diego, Gillman's high-scoring vertical passing game made the Chargers one of the AFL's glamour teams; they reached five of the first six AFL title games and won the franchise's only league championship on January 5, 1964, routing the Boston Patriots 51-10 behind stars like Lance Alworth, John Hadl, Ron Mix, Paul Lowe and Keith Lincoln. The Chargers joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The next golden era came with Don Coryell's 1978 arrival and the "Air Coryell" offense quarterbacked by Hall of Famer Dan Fouts, as San Diego led the NFL in passing for six straight years (1978-1983), won three straight AFC West titles (1979-1981) and reached two AFC Championship Games, producing the legendary "Epic in Miami" playoff win. The team's lone Super Bowl appearance came after the 1994 season under coach Bobby Ross and QB Stan Humphries, a 49-26 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX. The 2000s brought the LaDainian Tomlinson-Philip Rivers-Antonio Gates era, headlined by Tomlinson's record-setting 2006 MVP campaign. After a stadium dispute, owner Dean Spanos returned the franchise to Los Angeles for 2017, playing in Carson through 2019 before moving into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in 2020. Across 67 seasons (1960-2026) the franchise holds an all-time regular-season record of 505-501-11, one league championship (1963 AFL), and eight players plus one coach in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.