LOS ANGELES — After a six-win increase and a playoff appearance in 2024, the Chargers head into this offseason in a much different spot from last year; with added expectations going into next season and money to spend.
The Chargers are projected to have $63 million in cap space this offseason. Last year, when coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz took their current jobs, the Chargers had $50 million in salary cap debt after a 5-12 season. They quickly made the Chargers cap compliant and competitive as the Bolts logged their second-highest win total (11) since 2009.
As they begin their second offseason together, Hortiz and Harbaugh will again have to make tough decisions on franchise mainstays and upgrade many parts of the roster to keep the Chargers ascending in 2025.
“I think you look at it from a responsible way like we did last year,” Hortiz said of approaching the offseason. “Yes, we had less money to spend, but we’re responsible for our spending. I think you always stay responsible with your spending on the salary cap. There’s a lot of things to balance and in the end if you get reckless, you pay the piper eventually.”
Here are five things to watch this offseason:
Will the Chargers upgrade at receiver?
The Chargers’ receiving corps was its biggest question mark coming into the 2024 season. With franchise mainstays Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, the Chargers entered the year with just one receiver who had 1,000 yards in a season (D.J. Chark Jr. in 2019). But rookie receiver Ladd McConkey quickly emerged as one of the league’s most dynamic receivers, breaking many of Allen’s rookie records to put together the best Chargers rookie receiving season of all time. He finished with 1,149 yards and 82 receptions, both franchise rookie records.
Still, the receivers outside of McConkey were largely inconsistent. McConkey had 42 receptions against man coverage; the next-highest on the team was tight end Will Dissly, who tallied 19, which ranked tied for 73rd in the NFL.
The free agent class features multiple experienced, proven receivers, including Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin and Texans receiver Stefon Diggs. L.A. could also look to draft another wide receiver. L.A. has six picks and holds the No. 22 selection in the first round.
“We want guys to make plays, and that’s all,” Hortiz said about upgrading pass catchers this offseason. “We have ’em on this roster, and we’re going to add more, and that’s the goal.”
Slater has been extension-eligible since last offseason, but Hortiz and the Chargers chose to wait while others at his position in his 2021 draft class signed lucrative extensions, including the Lions’ Penei Sewell (4 years, $112 million, $85 million guaranteed) and Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw (4 years, $104 million, $67 million guaranteed).
When Hortiz and Harbaugh arrived last February, Slater had just finished an inconsistent 2023 season, but in 2024, he returned to his place among the league’s best tackles. Slater earned his first Pro Bowl selection since his rookie season and likely increased what the Chargers will have to pay him.
A Slater extension — however expensive — will almost certainly make room for the Chargers to spend more money this offseason. Teams often prorate a player’s signing bonus over the length of their new contract, meaning a smaller portion of that bonus counts against the salary cap in the first year. Both the Chargers and Slater have expressed interest in getting a deal done this offseason.
What happens with key free agents?
The Chargers have 27 unrestricted free agents, a group that includes many of their best players from the 2024 season. Perhaps the biggest domino is outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who Hortiz and Harbaugh have said is the top priority for re-signing. Mack said at his end-of-season news conference that he still feels the Chargers gave him a great chance to win the Super Bowl.
Other top Chargers free agents include running back J.K. Dobbins, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. linebacker Denzel Perryman, defensive tackles Poona Ford and Teair Tart, and safety Elijah Molden. They’ve all expressed interest in returning to the Chargers, but it seems unlikely that the Chargers will return all of these players, even though Harbaugh is pushing for it.
“I don’t know if it’s possible to get everybody back, but I want to come as darn close as possible to have darn near all of our players come back,” Harbaugh said.
Bosa is entering the final year of his contract with no guaranteed salary and a cap hit of $36,471,668. Paying that at this stage of Bosa’s career will likely be untenable for the Chargers, and releasing Bosa will save L.A. $25.6 million. Bosa took a pay cut last March of last season to stay with the Chargers and has said he hopes to be a Charger for life. While injuries have derailed Bosa’s career, he’s been impactful when healthy. In the Chargers’ playoff loss against the Texans, he had a team-high six pressures and one sack.
Changes to the offensive line
The Chargers could never establish the dominant rushing offense that Harbaugh and his staff boasted about bringing to L.A. all offseason, primarily because of the team’s struggles on the interior offensive line. The Chargers finished 20th in rushing yards per game (107.3).
L.A.’s interior linemen graded out among the worst in the NFL in run block win rate: C Bradley Bozeman (160th), LG Zion Johnson (165th) and RG Trey Pipkins III (188th). Bozeman will be a free agent, and Pipkins is in the final year of his contract but has no guaranteed salary in 2025. Johnson, a first-round pick in 2022, is in the final year of his rookie deal. The Chargers have until May 1 to exercise his fifth-year option, which is projected to be $18.4 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
