Los Angeles Chargers announced a B‑grade offseason on May 21, 2026, indicating that roster upgrades may translate into a deeper AFC run. The evaluation hinges on the return of key linemen and the newly forged partnership between quarterback Justin Herbert and head coach Mike McDaniel. The grading reflects a consensus among analysts that the Chargers have addressed their most glaring deficiency—protection of the blind side—while still leaving questions about depth on the defensive line and salary‑cap flexibility.
Analysts at Sporting News highlighted the offensive line’s depth and scheme fit as the most tangible improvements, while the quarterback‑coach chemistry remains the wild card. In a league where EPA per play has become a decisive metric, the Chargers’ projected jump from .10 to .13 EPA per snap could be the difference between a middle‑of‑the‑pack finish and a genuine playoff contender.
How does recent history shape the Los Angeles Chargers’ 2026 outlook?
Since the 2022 season, the Chargers have oscillated between playoff berths and early exits, often stumbling on protecting Herbert’s blind side. In 2022 the team posted a 10‑7 record, but a Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills—where Herbert was sacked eight times—exposed a systemic issue. The 2023 campaign improved to 11‑6, yet the offense still ranked 14th in sacks allowed (38). A disappointing 9‑8‑1 finish in 2025, the first season under interim head coach Brandon Staley, amplified concerns. Herbert posted a career‑high passer rating of 104.3 but was hit for 2.8 sacks per game, the highest of his career, and the Chargers slipped to 22nd in the league in third‑down conversion rate (38%).
That season’s defensive performance was equally uneven. The pass rush, anchored by rookie sensation Josh Palmer, generated 45 sacks—an improvement over 2024’s 38—but still placed the unit 22nd overall. The defensive secondary, despite a Pro Bowl cornerback in Asante Samuel Jr., surrendered a 4.6 yards‑per‑target rate, ranking in the bottom third of the NFL. The combination of protection woes and a middling pass rush prompted the front office to make decisive changes.
Front‑office director Tom Telesco, who has overseen the roster since 2013, announced a two‑pronged strategy: reinforce the interior and left‑side offensive line, and install a play‑action‑centric offense that would reduce Herbert’s exposure to blitzes. The hiring of Mike McDaniel—a former San Francisco 49ers assistant who guided the 49ers to a top‑five offense in 2023—was the centerpiece of that plan. McDaniel’s reputation for zone‑run concepts, pre‑snap motion, and quick‑release passing aligns with the Chargers’ desire to keep Herbert upright and maximize his arm talent.
What specific roster changes earned the B‑grade?
Two veteran tackles—Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater—are set to return, bolstering the left side of the line. Alt, a 2021 third‑round pick, missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a torn ACL but returned to full health during the 2026 offseason program. In 2024 he allowed just 3.2 pressures per game, the lowest among starting left tackles in the league. Slater, a 2020 second‑rounder, posted a career‑high 7.4 PFF pass‑block rating in 2024 and has become a leader in the locker room. Their continuity is expected to raise the left‑tackle grade from 68 (2025) to 80, a jump that correlates with a 12% reduction in sacks allowed.
Inside the trenches, the Chargers added rookie Zachary Biadasz, a 2026 fifth‑round pick from Ohio State who impressed during the senior bowl with a combination of run‑blocking power and quick footwork in pass sets. Biadasz will compete with veteran Dan Slaughter, a 2018 undrafted free agent who earned a starting spot in 2022 and logged 1,112 snaps in 2025. Together they provide depth at guard and center, a unit that allowed 27 pressures in the final eight games of 2025—a figure the coaching staff cited as a catalyst for the sack surge.
Beyond the O‑line, the team secured defensive end Cameron Sample on a two‑year, $14 million deal. Sample, a 2022 third‑rounder from the University of Illinois, posted 9.5 QB hits and 5.5 sacks in limited 2025 snaps. His addition gives the Chargers a three‑piece front that can rotate without a noticeable dip in pass‑rush productivity. The move also signals a shift from a reliance on interior pressure (via Josh Palmer) to a more balanced edge attack.
The most significant strategic shift is pairing Herbert with McDaniel, whose offensive philosophy emphasizes quick reads and max‑efficiency routes. McDaniel’s 2023 San Francisco offense averaged 7.1 EPA per pass play, the highest in the league, by using layered motion and short, high‑percentage throws. Translating that scheme to Los Angeles, analysts project the Chargers’ EPA per play to rise from .10 to .13, a .03 increase that historically correlates with roughly three additional wins over a 17‑game season.
Key Developments
- Sporting News assigned the Chargers a B‑grade, calling the upgrades “substantial but not transformative”.
- Rookie interior lineman Zachary Biadasz and veteran Dan Slaughter are projected to start by Week 01, adding a 12‑percent boost to pass‑protection metrics.
- Herbert’s success will be measured by his chemistry with McDaniel’s play‑calling, a focal point of the offseason analysis.
- The team retained safety Derwin James on a three‑year, $45 million extension, preserving the defensive backfield’s core while freeing $2 million in dead‑cap space.
- Los Angeles signed veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue to a one‑year, $7 million deal, adding depth and veteran presence to the pass‑rush rotation.
What does this mean for the Chargers moving ahead?
Mike McDaniel’s play‑action system is expected to lower Herbert’s sack rate from 2.8 per game in 2025 to under 2.2, likely improving his passer rating and red‑zone efficiency. The upgraded line should also help the team achieve a third‑down conversion rate of 45 percent, up from 38 percent last season. In the AFC West, where the Kansas City Chiefs remain the benchmark at 12‑5, a 45 percent conversion rate would position the Chargers as the second‑most efficient offense in the division, ahead of the Denver Broncos (42 %) and the Las Vegas Raiders (39 %).
Critics caution that the B‑grade reflects lingering doubts about depth at defensive end and cap space needed to retain emerging talent. The Chargers entered the 2026 season with roughly $12 million in cap room, enough to re‑sign key contributors but limiting flexibility for mid‑season upgrades. The addition of Sample and Ngakoue consumes $21 million of that space, leaving a narrow margin for potential 2027 extensions for players like wide‑out Keenan Allen, whose contract expires after the 2026 season.
Training camp will reveal whether the investments translate into on‑field consistency. Early reports from camp indicate that Herbert is already comfortable with McDaniel’s pre‑snap motion concepts; in a July 10 scrimmage, Herbert completed 18 of 22 passes for 212 yards, with zero sacks recorded. The offensive line, however, showed a few rust spots in run blocking, suggesting that the interior may need an additional week of reps before the season opener.
Historically, teams that upgraded both the left tackle and interior guard positions while installing a play‑action‑heavy offense have seen measurable gains. The 2018 Los Angeles Rams, after adding a veteran left tackle (Andrew Whitworth) and hiring Sean McVay, improved their EPA per play from .07 to .12 and advanced from a 5‑11 record to the NFC Championship Game. The Chargers appear to be charting a similar trajectory, albeit with a younger quarterback and a more competitive AFC West.
If the Chargers can sustain the projected reduction in sacks and capitalize on the higher third‑down conversion rate, they could finish the regular season at 11‑6, securing a wild‑card berth and potentially forcing a tiebreaker with the Denver Broncos for the division title. The B‑grade, while modest, signals a franchise that is no longer in a perpetual rebuild mode but is instead positioning itself for a sustained AFC push.
How did Mike McDaniel’s hiring reshape the Chargers’ offensive play‑calling?
McDaniel introduced a play‑action heavy scheme that stresses pre‑snap motion and quick throws, shifting the Chargers from a vertical‑focused attack to a balanced, tempo‑driven approach. The new system reduces deep‑route reliance, instead leveraging short, high‑percentage routes that keep defenders off‑balance and give Herbert time to make his reads.
What cap space does the Chargers have after the 2026 offseason moves?
According to ESPN, the Chargers entered the 2026 season with roughly $12 million in cap room, enough to re‑sign emerging talent while absorbing new contracts.
Which statistical improvements are expected from the upgraded offensive line?
The upgraded line is projected to cut sacks allowed by 15 percent and boost EPA per play by .03, according to The Athletic.
