Chargers Lock Down Key Defender on 3-Year Contract Extension

The Los Angeles Chargers rolled out the red carpet for offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to start the week, then locked down a key defender on a contract extension.

According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the Chargers signed defensive lineman Teair Tart to a three-year contract extension.

A key part of Jesse Minter’s defenses over the last two seasons, Tart will remain as a foundational building block now that his former coordinator has taken the job as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

An undrafted free agent in 2020, Tart bounced around with three different teams before being a prove-it signing for Jim Harbaugh, Joe Hortiz and the Chargers in 2024. Alongside Poona Ford, he excelled in Minter's scheme for an elite unit that spurred an unexpected playoff berth in the first year of a rebuild.

After Ford left in free agency last year, Tart got another one-year deal with the Chargers and again played a key role for the unit. Besides being the guy who slapped Travis Kelce on a global stage and serving as the enforcer for the unit, Tart ranked 36th out of 134 graded defensive tackles at Pro Football Focus.

Tart himself offered a message after the contract extension:

Bolt up!!
— TEAIR TART (@speedboy_te75) January 26, 2026

While Tart is a key re-signing for the Chargers, he's fallen under the radar in terms of value from a national perspective. The team has major free agents like Khalil Mack, Keenan Allen and even swing backup offensive tackle Trey Pipkins to worry about this offseason.

There's also former first-round pick Odafe Oweh heading for free agency this offseason. His arrival via trade and breakout alongside Tart makes him, like Mack, a top priority.

Elsewhere on the interior, the Chargers have Otito Ogbonnia also slated for free agency, while a new arrival like Da'Shawn Hand is also heading for the open market.

For now, though, the Chargers potentially didn't want to make the same mistake as last year when Ford departed via the open market. Tart continued his stellar play without him, so the Chargers have signaled that they will reward their own as they slow down the roster churn and sculpt out their would-be contender around some core pieces.

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