The Los Angeles Chargers released former Super Bowl champion Mekhi Becton.

This move will free up $9.7 million in cap space for the Chargers. According to Over The Cap, the Chargers have $84 million in cap space.

Becton was drafted with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played three seasons with the Jets. His last season with them was 2023, when he had 12 penalties in 16 games.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed him to a one-year, $2.7 million contract in the 2024 offseason. The Eagles moved him from offensive tackle to offensive guard. This move helped him be a better offensive lineman. He helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX.

After his improved performance, several teams were interested in signing Becton. The Chargers signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract. Becton had a good season, but declined from his 2024 form. 

According to Pro Football Network, the Chargers ranked No. 30 in offensive line in 2025. Their best lineman was center Bradley Bozeman. Tackle Joe Alt played just six games, but made the Pro Bowl.

Although the numbers suggest the Chargers’ offensive line was bad, having Rashawn Slater and Alt healthy for a full season could lead to improvement. 

The Chargers are likely to try to find a tight end, defensive lineman and edge rusher. 

According to Yahoo Sports, the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers are interested in Becton. Out of all these teams, the Lions have the most to gain from Becton. They had the No. 16 offensive line, according to Pro Football Network. Although their primary focus will be to find another tackle besides Penei Sewell, they could definitely benefit from another guard. 

Becton will be allowed to negotiate with other teams on March 9.

The Los Angeles Chargers have found themselves a new offensive coordinator. 

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was confirmed this week to become the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator.

McDaniel got his start in the NFL in 2005 as a coaching intern for the Denver Broncos. He bounced around the league for a bit before getting a chance to be the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. They went 10-7 and reached the conference championship.

McDaniel was hired by the Dolphins in 2022. They made the playoffs in his first two seasons as a head coach. The decline of Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa over the past two seasons has kept them out of the playoffs. He was fired after going 7-10 in the 2025 season.  

The Chargers fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the team scored just three points in the wild-card game against the New England Patriots. Roman was previously the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. He won Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019. 

Head coach Jim Harbaugh looks to get the Chargers further into the playoffs than the wild-card game in 2026. A team with Justin Herbert at quarterback and the 20th-ranked offense was just unacceptable.

Although McDaniel’s offensive abilities could help the team, they’ll need more than just a coaching change. Pro Football Focus ranked the Chargers’ offensive line 30th in the league. Their best offensive lineman is left tackle Joe Alt. Alt made the Pro Bowl this season despite playing just six games. The Dolphins ranked 29th according to Pro Football Focus.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen, who spent the first 11 years of his NFL career with the Chargers, is returning to the team, as the sides agreed to a one-year deal Tuesday.

After Mike Williams‘ surprise retirement last month, a reunion between Allen, 33, and the Chargers seemed possible. Allen worked out for the team on Friday, and he will now reunite with quarterback Justin Herbert.

But the six-time Pro Bowler will be walking into a much different receiving room than the one he left when the Chargers traded him to the Chicago Bears following the 2023 season.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who broke many of Allen’s rookie receiving records in 2024, spends most of his time as a slot receiver, like Allen. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman will be tasked with making Allen and McConkey mesh in the passing offense.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, speaking after the deal was announced Tuesday night, dismissed any concerns about the duo’s fit.

“I think [Bears wide receiver] DJ Moore‘s played a lot of slot, and they were both on the field 80% of the time last year,” Hortiz said of Allen’s role in Chicago. “You get good players on the field and you play them.”

Hortiz added that his team is “fired up” to bring Allen on board and noted while Allen was always an option, there was more opportunity after Williams’ retirement.

With Allen back, undrafted rookie quarterback DJ Uiagalelei switched from No. 13 to No. 7.

The Chargers selected Allen with the 76th pick in the 2013 NFL draft out of Cal.

He remained with the Chargers through the 2023 season, when he set the franchise’s single-season record for receptions with 108 despite sitting out the final four games because of a heel injury. He was the most reliable weapon in a receiving corps that was inconsistent throughout that campaign.

Los Angeles Chargers center Bradley Bozeman stuck up for his quarterback Justin Herbert during last Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints after a brazen hit from Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepard.

After Herbert released the ball to running back J.K. Dobbins, Shepard grabbed onto his lower leg, twisted his ankle, and then flung the quarterback down awkwardly to the ground. Seeing what transpired, Bozeman launched himself onto Shepard, and the referee plus Herbert needed to pry him off the opposing player after the late and unnecessary hit from the defensive lineman. No flag was thrown on the play, but NFL media believes a massive fine or suspension could be handed to Shepard.

Bozeman spoke after the game about sticking up for his quarterback.

“It was probably one of the dirtier plays I’ve ever seen … You protect your quarterback no matter what. And I think [if] any of our offensive linemen [were] in my position [they] would’ve done the same thing.”

Herbert also addressed the play and how grateful he was to have teammates stick up for him.

“That’s the type of center you want on your team. He’ll give everything for this team, and I appreciated what he did. I tried to pull him off so he didn’t get any penalties called. But to have a guy like that defending you, there’s no better feeling.”

Finally, first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh also commented on the play, enjoying what he saw from Bozeman and handing him a game ball.

“Everybody knows Justin’s got a bad ankle … I don’t blame [Bozeman],” he said. “I don’t encourage it at all, but I don’t blame him.”

The Chargers started the season slowly but are now in the thick of the playoff race, with a 4-3 record and a winnable game against the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

In the first quarter of the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh left the sideline and went into the blue medical tent. He returned to the field and finished coaching his team to a 23-16 win over their division rival. Harbaugh revealed after the game that his condition makes his heart beat too quickly and that it has happened to him before.

“It’s called atrial flutter. I got into an episode today with it. Doctors checked me out and it got back into a sinus rhythm, normal rhythm, so I came back,” he said. “I had a couple ablations, one in 1999 and one in 2012. I’ll always remember the one in 2012, it was during the Monday night game. Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers versus the Chicago Bears, and Colin had a great night that night. After the game, got checked out. Ended up having to have an ablation for that one because it didn’t go back into rhythm, but 2-0 with arrhythmias. It would take my heart stopping for me not to be out there on the sideline.”

Harbaugh says that his heart rate is being consistently monitored and that he is wearing a monitor. He does expect to coach on Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals. The Chargers look to win their second game in a row and keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. According to ESPN Bet, the Chargers are 2.5-point road favorites against the Cardinals.

Harbaugh is in his first season with the Chargers and his first year back in the NFL in ten years since he last coached the San Francisco 49ers in 2014. He recently won an NCAA National Championship at Michigan in 2023, fulfilling his dream to his alma mater before jumping back into the pros.