Chargers’ Kayode Awosika Leading LG Competition

Slaughter’s exit from the LG competition left Trey Pipkins, Kayode Awosika, Trevor Penning and Branson Taylor as the contenders for the role. There was no known favorite at this time last week, but that has changed in the past few days.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed last Saturday that Awosika had taken the lead, though he added he wasn’t ready to name a starter (links via Kris Rhim of ESPN). Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel then gave Awosika a vote of confidence on Monday.

“It’s almost his job to lose,” McDaniel said.

Thanks in large part to injuries to tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, the Chargers fielded one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2025. Starting left guard Zion Johnson and center Bradley Bozeman stayed healthy, but they struggled. The Chargers did not re-sign Johnson, who inked a three-year, $49.5MM contract with the Browns, and Bozeman retired.

Biadasz, who joined the Bolts on a three-year, $30MM deal, was easily their biggest O-line investment in free agency. They spent more modestly in re-signing Pipkins (two years, $10MM) and Penning (one year, $3.5MM), while Awosika was an inexpensive outside acquisition. The former Eagle and Lion looked like a depth signing when the Chargers gave him a one-year, $2MM pact with $300K in guaranteed money, but he may be get the starting nod when the team kicks off against the Cardinals in Week 1.

After going undrafted out of Buffalo (Khalil Mack‘s former stomping grounds), Awosika signed with the Eagles in 2021. He only got into one game with them as a rookie. Awosika opened his second year on the Eagles’ practice squad, but the Lions signed him away that September.

Awosika spent four years in Detroit, where he played 50 games and made 11 starts. The 6-foot-3, 312-pounder set career highs in offensive snaps (286) and starts (four) last year, though he will breeze past those numbers in 2026 if he wins a starting job and plays well enough to keep it.