Chargers should steal top Chiefs star in 2025 NFL free agency

Chris Roling | Nov 15, 2024

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers have a problem on the interior of the offensive line in front of Justin Herbert, hence a starter getting benched and a competition beginning.

But the Kansas City Chiefs might provide a solution.

Sounds wild, but the Chiefs’ loss could be the Chargers’ gain in next offseason’s free agency.

The topic has come up because those Chiefs seem likely to lose elite guard Trey Smith to the open market, according to Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler.

“The Chiefs would love to re-sign Smith but know that will be tough,” Fowler wrote. “In fact, there's an expectation that Smith could become the highest-paid guard in the NFL. The top of the market currently sits at $21.5 million per year, and the Chiefs are at least bracing for life without him because of that price. Smith is a top-10 interior lineman in the league, and the Panthers giving Robert Hunt a $100 million free agency deal back in March had to get Smith's attention.”

While the Chargers still have hopes for former first-rounder Zion Johnson at left guard, right guard is a mess. With Trey Pipkins out due to injury, Jamaree Salyer recently got a start, but had to rotate with Foster Sarell. When Pipkins returns, the Chargers will keep a rotation and competition going with Salyer.

The Chargers being a Jim Harbaugh team that wants to impose its will on the ground, it wouldn’t be all that shocking if they go all-in on an interior lineman in free agency next offseaosn. After all, the front office has roughly $75 million in projected cap space to play with – and that’s before making any tough calls on big contracts like the one belonging to Joey Bosa.

In fact, expect to hear more about this idea, often, as the Chargers hurting a division rival while upgrading one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster is a no-brainer.

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