INDIANAPOLIS — The math is getting ugly for the Los Angeles Chargers. As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine kicks into high gear, the rumors surrounding top Chargers free agents are causing serious sticker shock. General Manager Joe Hortiz walked into Lucas Oil Stadium with cap space, but the projected open-market values for guard Zion Johnson and edge rusher Odafe Oweh threaten to drain the bank. Johnson is reportedly commanding upwards of $20 million annually, while Oweh’s blistering finish to 2025 has his asking price flirting with the $25 million mark.
The $20 Million Question in the Trenches
Zion Johnson finally hit his stride in 2025. After the front office declined his fifth-year option, the 26-year-old former first-round pick delivered his cleanest season yet, allowing just three sacks and 26 pressures. The offensive line around him crumbled, but Johnson stood firm. Now, he holds all the leverage. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel needs a sturdy interior to keep Justin Herbert upright, especially with starting center Bradley Bozeman retiring and Mekhi Becton likely departing. Tying up $20 million a year on a guard who took three years to find consistency is a massive risk. You could feel the tension in the Indianapolis convention center corridors when rival executives whispered about Johnson’s ballooning price tag.
Rushing the Passer at a Premium
The mid-season trade that brought Odafe Oweh from Baltimore to Los Angeles for a 2026 fifth-round pick and Alohi Gilman looks like the heist of the decade. Oweh arrived in California like a man possessed. He racked up 7.5 sacks in just 12 regular-season games for the Chargers, earning an elite 81.0 pass-rushing grade. He then absolutely wrecked the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round, dropping the quarterback three times and forcing two fumbles. At 27 years old, he is hitting the open market at the exact right moment. His only real competition for the top edge contract is Philadelphia’s Jaelen Phillips, who carries a heavier injury history.
“We have a range with every player. Is it a hard ceiling? No, I don’t think you ever place a hard ceiling on any player. But you have to pay what you think a player is worth.”
— Joe Hortiz, Chargers General Manager
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The Chargers are staring down a complete rebuild of their offensive and defensive fronts. If Johnson and Oweh secure bags that exceed Los Angeles’s internal valuations, Hortiz will let them walk. The 2026 draft class is stacked with rotational edge rushers and heavy-handed interior linemen. McDaniel squeezed elite production out of patched-together offensive lines in Miami, and the Chargers might ask him to repeat that magic. With Justin Herbert’s prime ticking away, the front office must decide this week whether to pay a premium for proven internal talent or roll the dice on cheaper rookies to keep their Super Bowl window propped open.
