The Los Angeles Chargers didn’t handle free agency the way many predicted.
They began the offseason with just under $100 million in salary cap space, which was the second-most in the NFL. Despite that, Los Angeles let several key starters leave for new teams, and didn’t make many high-profile acquisitions to replace them.
However, that may not be a bad thing. The Chargers still have plenty of cap space for the future, and the free agents that they did sign seem to be good fits. As far as the players they let depart from them, it could be what’s best for the team in the long run.
Former Los Angeles Chargers Edge Rusher Odafe Oweh Named Among the Worst 2026 Free Agents Signings
GettyFormer Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently ranked his 10 worst free agents signings of the offseason. Coming in at No. 7 was Oweh, who signed a long-term contract with the Washington Commanders in March.
“The Washington Commanders can’t be faulted for targeting a pass-rusher in free agency—the team had 42 sacks in 2025, but the leading edge-rusher in that category was 37-year-old Von Miller. The team settled on Odafe Oweh, giving the sixth-year pro a four-year, $96 million deal that included almost $70 million in guarantees. To be fair, Oweh was fairly productive the past couple of seasons—he logged 10 sacks with the Baltimore Ravens in 2024 and posted 7.5 in 12 games after being traded in-season to the Los Angeles Chargers. But the fact that Baltimore gave up on a 10-sack player and flipped him for a so-so defensive back and a Day 3 pick says something—and that something isn’t great. Oweh had just 13 sacks over the first three seasons of his career combined. He has never been much of a factor against the run—he has hit the 40-tackle mark just once. His 47 pressures and 16.4 percent pass-rush win rate last year per PFF were good, but not great. Oweh’s average annual salary ranks among the 12 best edge-rushers in the game. His production and talent does not.”
Oweh got paid like an elite pass rusher, but isn’t considered to the same caliber as ones such as Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, or T.J. Watt. It’s possible that Oweh was a one-year wonder, and committing big money to him over multiple years would have been a mistake.
Former Chargers Offensive Guard Zion Johnson Named Among Worst 2026 Free Agent Signings
GettyFormer Chargers OG Zion Johnson
Coming in at No. 10 was Johnson, who signed with the Cleveland Browns last month.
“It’s not especially surprising that the Cleveland Browns overhauled their offensive line this offseason—an aging and injury-ravaged offensive front last year ended the 2025 campaign ranked 31st in the league per Pro Football Focus. Part of that overhaul involved giving former first-round pick Zion Johnson $16.5 million a year over three seasons. There’s just one small issue. On his best day, Johnson is an average player. Per PFF, he allowed three sacks in 1,071 snaps in 2025 and was below average in both pass protection and run blocking. The Browns are far from the first team to overpay middling offensive linemen in free agency. It happens every year, but that doesn’t make it any less ill-advised.”
Some would argue that Johnson was downright bad in 2025. Experience and starting in every game but two throughout his four-year NFL career played into his favor in securing a multi-year contract. The Chargers won’t likely miss a beat without Johnson.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post 2 Former Chargers Named Among Worst 2026 Free Agent Signings appeared first on Heavy Sports.