2 Underrated Chargers Free Agents Are More Important Than Most Realize

It’s not hard to run down the list of upcoming Los Angeles Chargers free agents and pick out the big names.

Khalil Mack is one, should the modern great choose to keep playing. Odafe Oweh, the big trade win for the Chargers, is another. Keenan Allen and Denzel Perryman are veterans they could use back, too.

But the underrated Chargers free agents?

Onlookers should circle the following names in red: If the Chargers let them get away, they will need to spend significant draft or money assets and time on replacing them.

OL Trey Pipkins

Don’t laugh. One could bring up Pipkins’ 84th out of 89 ranking among tackles at PFF last season.

But that hardly tells the whole story.

Pipkins can play at least four of the five spots on the line. He played both tackle spots last year and at least one guard spot while the injury bug went wild. Over 13 games and through injuries of his own, he never really had a chance to settle down.

A former third-round pick with seven seasons under his belt with the Chargers, he’s still just going on the age of 30. Good offensive linemen just aren’t making it to the open market, so the chances the Chargers can find another capable swing backup to help right away in 2026 is unlikely.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance runs with the ball. — Trey Lance | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

QB Trey Lance

Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers were not happy with the backup quarterback situation in 2024, spurring a late trade for Taylor Heinicke. They weren’t too happy with all of that, either, before settling on Trey Lance in free agency last offseason.

Lance impressed in summer and preseason work. He also meshed well with the overall offense the Chargers wanted to run, while also providing a bit more in terms of versatility, which helped to keep things unpredictable for defenses if he needed to enter the lineup.

A former third-overall pick, there’s going to be demand for Lance in free agency this offseason. Quality quarterbacks, and even backups, rarely hit the open market, either.

The Chargers won’t and shouldn’t want to start the backup hunt all over again, unless Mike McDaniel comes in and has totally different plans. Lance might want to go somewhere with a chance to battle for a starting spot, but the Chargers have plenty of cap space ways to at least make a compelling argument that he should stay in town.

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