Everything you need to know about Chargers’ salary cap challenges, solutions

The Los Angeles Chargers head for a big offseason of change after another embarrassing playoff exit with boatloads of cash and Jim Harbaugh leaving his comfort zone after firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

After years of careful cap balancing while resetting the roster, general manager Joe Hortiz has some of the most cap space in the NFL to work with this offseason.

Chargers free agents, those on the open market, extension candidates, cut candidates, another rookie draft class and so much more, though, will make it tricky for Hortiz and the Chargers to balance the sheet.

Here’s a snapshot of the Chargers’ cap space situation.

Chargers Salary Cap in 2026

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert — David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Chargers carry north of $100 million in free cap space into the offseason.

Of course, the actual number varies based on salary cap guesswork, as the leaguewide cap number hasn’t been finalized.

Over The Cap has the Chargers at roughly $104 million in space. Spotrac, after estimating the 2026 salary cap is $304ish million, says the Chargers have nearly $110 million in free cap space.

Hard to complain either way, right?

What else impacts Chargers salary cap in 2026?

Beyond the expected stuff, paying a draft class hits the salary cap. The Chargers have five picks in the upcoming 2026 draft. The No. 22 overall pick will cost roughly $3.6 million in cap space right away.

The Chargers also have a list of dead money cap charges, with offensive lineman Branson Taylor checking in at the very top at $169,000.

Biggest of all, though, is upcoming roster bonuses of note. Some of these are unavoidable, like a March 13 trigger of $7 million for Rashawn Slater.

Other noteworthy names with roster bonuses due in March:

Mekhi Becton
Bud Dupree
Will Dissly

All of those cost $1 million or more. Written another way: Those are cut candidates.

Early 2026 #NFL Cap Space Projections

1. Titans, $113M
2. Raiders, $110M
3. Chargers, $109M
4. Jets, $95M
5. Rams, $93M
6. Commanders, $89M
7. Bengals, $77M
8. Steelers, $65M
9. Seahawks, $64M
10. Patriots, $55M
...
30. Saints, -$23M
31. Vikings, -$29M
32. Chiefs, -$43M…
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 5, 2026

Which free agents should Chargers re-sign?

The Chargers will need to throw some massive money at their own free agents this offseason.

Edge Khalil Mack: Does he want to come back again? Or retire…or find a new team? They should want him back. It cost roughly $18 million last year.

Edge Odafe Oweh: The former first-rounder erupted after coming over via trade. Whatever price he names, the Chargers should be all over it.

DL Teair Tart: Two prove-it deals later, Tart has more than earned his payday, given how important he is to the scheme.

OL Zion Johnson: The former first-rounder showed signs of life this year, which is impressive, given the chaos of the tackle spot next to him.

OL Trevor Penning: He got benched and moved around after coming over at the trade deadline, but it’s worth re-investing as a backup.

OL Trey Pipkins: Quality swing backup tackles don’t just make it to market. He shouldn’t.

QB Trey Lance: He’s not going to get a starter shot somewhere, so pay up as insurance.

S Tony Jefferson: Unc deserves to stay.

LB Denzel Perryman: See above.

RB Kimani Vidal: A late-round gem and quality rotational piece.

Chargers cut candidates

The Chargers have some really obvious names to let go this offseason.

OL Mekhi Becton: It never worked. They signed him to a two-year deal with an out built into it for a reason. The out? They’ll save $9.7 million if they cut him.

Edge Bud Dupree: Oweh has been a revelation. It’s time to go younger in the deeper parts of the rotation and they’d save nearly $3.5 million.

TE Will Dissly: Blow up the tight end room behind Oronde Gadsden. This would save $4 million.

OL Bradley Bozeman: The old-school ways are no more. Roman is out, and Bozeman should be too. He’d save them $3ish million.

P J.K. Scott: He’s quietly been bad in key moments and cutting him would save $2.85 million.

The Chargers have the most cap space in the league going into 2026. 110 million, before even getting to cuts and restructures.

Whatever Tyler Linderbaum's number is, the Ravens won't win that bidding war if they let him get to March.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) January 12, 2026

Chargers extension candidates

When it comes to getting new deals done early, core pieces of the future make sense. Think, edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu and linebacker Daiyan Henley, whose contracts expire after 2027.

How can Chargers create more cap space?

Beyond the obvious cuts mentioned above, the Chargers could work the usual cap wizardry all teams do.

Meaning, pay cuts and restructures, if not extensions to move money around.

Of course, the Chargers aren’t exactly hurting for cap space in the slightest. Some teams need to go to the star quarterback and ask for help in that manner. The Chargers don’t really need to flinch at the fact Justin Herbert is a $46 million cap hit in 2026.

Chargers cap space bottom line

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh (left) and general manager Joe Hortiz — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This is how annual contenders are built.

Hortiz knows what he’s doing after years and years in Baltimore. There have been some whiffs (interior offensive line!), but for the most part, performing major roster churn two years in a row, making the playoffs both times and still sitting on more than $100 million in cap space is impressive.

This offseason, more cap space than usual will go to retaining their own. But that’s a great problem to have. When a trade results in an Odafe Oweh, who can complain about paying to keep a core piece like him?

Finding core pieces, then paying to keep them is what winning teams do. The Chargers continue to draft extremely well, finding building blocks like Tarheeb Still in the fifth-round or later. That reduces the need to go buy short-term rentals in free agency at overpriced numbers.

Chatting about possible outside free agents will still be fun for fans. But the big impacts for the Chargers this offseason will be using that ample cap space on their own guys.

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