Chargers Roster Spotlights: Josh Kaltenberger, A Surprising Final Roster Lock?

Josh Kaltenberger, born on August 10, 2001, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, played his high school ball at Seneca Valley in Harmony, Pennsylvania, where he earned three-star recruiting status, according to 247Sports.

This led Kaltenberger to the Purdue Boilermakers for the 2020 year, where he redshirted, getting acclimated to the collegiate level. In 2021, he appeared in all 12 games, being named Academic All-Big Ten. The following season, Kaltenberger saw action in 14 games, starting the final three games at center.

In his final year with eligibility, Kaltenberger made the transfer to Maryland, where he became their starting center, starting 12 games, in the season where the Terps ranked #3 in passing offense in the Big Ten. While this year was successful for Kaltenberger, the NFL Draft community seemed to lack hype around his name, eventually leading to the Pennsylvania native going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Chargers Josh Kaltenberger, IOL Maryland

The Los Angeles Chargers saw Kaltenberger's athletic tools and stature, giving him an undrafted rookie contract. He did not make the initial final 53-man roster in 2025, but found himself signed and released from the practice squad plenty of times during the year.

2024* Season Stats

12 Games Started
794 Snaps Played [30 at left guard, 739 at center, 25 at right guard]
61.0 PFF Offensive Grade
57.2 PFF Run Blocking Grade
75.7 PFF Pass Blocking Grade
2 Sacks Allowed (Both in the same game, against Indiana)
11 Pressures Given Up

Measurables

Mockdraftable page unavailable for Josh Kaltenberger, his RAS card is below.

Josh Kaltenberger is a OC prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.72 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 20 out of 672 OC from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/rCzhHP1rc2 pic.twitter.com/4JrE4RZrB4
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 11, 2025

Contract Status

"Josh Kaltenberger signed a 1 year, $885,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $885,000. In 2026, Kaltenberger will earn a base salary of $885,000, while carrying a cap hit of $885,000." - Spotrac

Josh Kaltenberger's 2026 Season Outlook

Now going into 2026, Kaltenberger is technically the only pure center backup option on the roster, behind Tyler Biadasz. Rookie Jake Slaughter was drafted to play guard, but for his entire college career, he was a center, leading fans to believe that he would serve as the backup center option if an injury were to occur. He is expected to have a real chance to make the final 53-man roster, but will need to prove he is ready to go against NFL-ready competition.

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