LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Chargers took a massive hit to their pass rush the second the legal tampering window opened. Edge rusher Odafe Oweh bolted for the nation’s capital, signing a four-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Commanders. The front office now faces a gaping hole on defense, but rumors of a Chargers Osa Odighizuwa trade are heating up, signaling that general manager Joe Hortiz is already hunting for an upgrade.
The Interior Anchor Los Angeles Needs
Trading for Oweh last October in exchange for Alohi Gilman and a 2027 seventh-round pick didn’t pan out long-term for Los Angeles. Gilman is now packing his bags for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Oweh took the guaranteed cash in Washington. Fans felt the sting instantly. You could almost hear the collective groan across Southern California when the $100 million bombshell dropped.
But relief might come in the form of Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. Dallas just added former Charger Otito Ogbonnia on a one-year, $3 million deal. That sudden depth in Texas has teams circling like sharks, monitoring Odighizuwa’s availability.
Odighizuwa is a rare breed of interior defender. He logged 23 quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks in 2025. Since his 2021 arrival as a third-round pick, the man has been ironclad. He missed a single game in five years, stacking up 17 sacks, 34 tackles for a loss, and 81 quarterback hits in 84 career games. If the Chargers pair his pass-rushing juice with early-down run stuffer Teair Tart, new defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary gets a ferocious front line to ease his transition into calling the plays.
“When you lose a guy who commands that much attention off the edge, you don’t just replace him with a warm body. You find someone who wrecks the pocket from the inside out. Osa lives in the backfield. He makes everyone around him faster.”
— Anonymous AFC West Pro Personnel Scout
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
Pulling off a trade for Odighizuwa means taking on a heavy, but manageable, financial commitment over the next three seasons. Here is a look at his upcoming cap hits:
- 2026: $20.75 million
- 2027: $24.5 million
- 2028: $24.5 million
The Chargers managed to retain veteran Khalil Mack on an extension right before free agency, keeping a legendary voice in the locker room. Mack’s leadership is critical, but he needs physical help on the line. If Los Angeles pulls the trigger on this trade, they shift their defensive identity. Instead of relying purely on edge pressure, they collapse the pocket straight up the middle. This forces division rivals like Patrick Mahomes to throw off their back foot, completely altering the AFC West power dynamic for the 2026 season. Hortiz has the cap space and the motivation to make a move; now it is just a matter of matching Dallas’ asking price.
