5 Key Impending Chargers Free Agents Including Keenan Allen

Teair Tart’s role is to eat up blocks and shrink the pocket. If he’s gone, the Los Angeles Chargers will have an immediate need to prioritize the role in the offseason. With only two nose tackles on the roster, the Chargers will need to find someone new.

Rookie Jamaree Caldwell could be the team’s new starter in 2026, but they would need someone behind him. Ideally, Tart could work behind Caldwell if Caldwell is the future, but if he’s gone, the team would need a new untested face.

#4 – Trey Lance, QB

Justin Herbert might be the guy for the next decade in Los Angeles, but he is unlikely to be available for every game between now and 2035. As such, in a sport as dangerous as the NFL, losing a backup quarterback is a big deal.

Trey Lance has bounced around as a developmental quarterback, but with no one else on the 53-man roster, the Chargers would need to scramble to find someone they can trust for a few games if Herbert suffers an injury in 2026.

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#3 – Zion Johnson, OG

The fastest way to ensure the Los Angeles Chargers need a backup quarterback is to let his protection walk. Zion Johnson is in the last year of his deal, and as a serviceable offensive guard (42nd of 79 guards per PFF), he would be hard to replace.

Johnson, just 26 years old, still could play for Los Angeles for another five or 10 years, but he can’t stick around if Hortiz lets him out the door. If he does, he’d better have a plan in place, as Herbert would be the one to pay the price.

#2 – Khalil Mack, Edge

Khalil Mack has missed time this season due to injury, but his effect on the defense cannot be understated. In just seven starts, Mack has tallied 4.5 sacks. The pass rusher’s exit would leave a hole big enough that it might take a Day 1 or Day 2 draft pick to fill, and even then, it could be a downgrade.

Mack won’t play forever at age 34, but there’s still gas in the tank and enough to catch the attention of opposing quarterbacks and offensive lines. That alone is worth investing in for at least 2026.

#1 – Keenan Allen, WR

Many believed Keenan Allen would never wear a Los Angeles Chargers jersey again. It turns out that the receiver not only did, but also showed flashes of his former self. While not the leading receiver, Allen is still the team’s second-most productive receiver in receiving yards. It’s clear that Allen still has more to give, and Los Angeles should take everything the team can.

As such, even heading into an age-34 season, Los Angeles should think long and hard about whether to let Allen’s return end early. As it stands, Allen has a chance to get close to 1,000 yards at 622 yards through 12 games. That has to count for something.