Los Angeles Chargers

With $1645.0M in cap room ranked 3rd leaguewide and only $4.4M in dead money, this is one of the most financially healthy rosters in the league.

22 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Four starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Six picks this season with five of them landing in rounds one through five, plus three first-rounders across the next three years, gives the Chargers real ammunition to build around their young core.

• 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 clearest strength is its bookend offensive tackles with Slater and Alt, while the interior offensive line, particularly left guard ranked 31st leaguewide, is the single most glaring weakness.

• DThigh

  The interior defensive line is a serious weakness, with the starter ranked 29th in the league and Teair Tart leading a thin rotation that includes Dalvin Tomlinson and Justin Eboigbe.

• HBhigh

  Omarion Hampton is a promising 81-overall starter, but the position ranks 28th at the starter level, signaling he needs either a more reliable complement or time to develop further.

• LGhigh

  Left guard is the most glaring offensive-line gap, ranked 31st at starter with Trevor Penning lining up there rather than at his natural position, and the depth behind him is equally thin.

• MIKEhigh

  Denzel Perryman starts at MIKE but is well into the late stage of his career, and the position ranks 27th leaguewide with Marlowe Wax as the only backup of note.

• RGhigh

  Cole Strange starts at right guard and ranks 27th at the position, though depth ranks 7th, giving the Chargers some insurance behind him.

• SAMhigh

  Troy Dye is the starter at SAM, a position that ranks 11th of only 13 qualifying teams, highlighting a real weak point in the linebacker corps.

• WRmedium

  Quentin Johnston leads the wide receiver room at 80 overall but the starter ranks 24th leaguewide, and Ladd McConkey's upside as a Superstar trait wideout is critical to raising that ceiling.

• CBlow

  Donte Jackson starts at corner ranked 21st, but Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart provide solid developmental depth behind him.

• LEDGElow

  Akheem Mesidor starts at left edge but the position ranks 21st at starter and 26th in depth, making this a quiet but real area of concern.

• 72Bud DupreeLEDGEBud Dupree is a 72-overall backup behind Khalil Mack on the right edge depth chart, and releasing him frees $2.3M against only $1.5M in dead money, making it a net positive for a team with guard and linebacker needs.Frees $2.3M · $1.5M dead
• 64Trey LanceQBTrey Lance is the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Herbert and listed above only as a depth emergency option, and cutting him frees $1.7M while leaving just $800K in dead money.Frees $1.7M · $800.0K dead
• 64Kayode AwosikaLGKayode Awosika is the third-string left guard at 64 overall, a redundant depth piece whose release frees $1.2M against $670K in dead cap, a sensible savings with the guard position already a priority need.Frees $1.2M · $670.0K dead
• 67Gary JenningsWRGary Jennings is a 67-overall receiver outside the top three on the depth chart with zero dead money attached, meaning his release is a pure $1.1M cap savings with no downside.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

The Chargers are in an enviable position, built around Justin Herbert at quarterback and anchored by Rashawn Slater and Derwin James Jr. at premium positions. The offensive line has real upside with Joe Alt already at 85 overall at 23 and Slater in his prime, but left guard is a pressing problem that needs a real solution before Herbert's protection suffers. Omarion Hampton gives the backfield a promising 81-overall back with Star dev, and Ladd McConkey is a Superstar-trait receiver who can become Herbert's primary weapon. Defensively, Khalil Mack is still producing at 86 overall but is clearly entering the final chapter of his career, which means finding his successor at right edge is a coming priority. Derwin James Jr. is a difference-making safety, though the team will need to begin planning for life beyond his peak years in the medium term. The linebacker corps is a collective weakness, with Denzel Perryman in the late stage of his career at MIKE and limited options behind him. The cap picture is outstanding, with $1645.0M in current room ranked 3rd leaguewide and committed money dropping sharply after this season, giving the front office real flexibility to address the roster's holes through free agency and the draft.

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.