Chargers' top free agent priority might not be Khalil Mack

The Los Angeles Chargers have some tough decisions to make on their own in-house free agents before the market opens this offseason.

Khalil Mack, the All-Pro and future Hall of Fame member? He’s the no-brainer of a conversation-starter.

But Odafe Oweh isn’t far behind.

Oweh came over via trade before the deadline from the Baltimore Ravens. It was a nice deal between two franchisees more than familiar with each other. Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz spent a ton of time there winning, so it was an easy enough transaction, most likely.

But nobody would have boldly predicted what Oweh would do once landing in Los Angeles and it’s got him looking like perhaps the premier free agent of the class for the Chargers.

Chargers free agent Odafe Oweh outlook examined

Players with 3+ sacks and 2+ forced fumbles in a playoff game, since 2000:

Will Anderson Jr. vs the Patriots today
Odafe Oweh vs the Patriots last week
— Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem) January 18, 2026

The idea the Chargers need to keep Oweh isn’t some isolated thing that only in-the-know fans understand.

In fact, it’s starting to go national, with Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker picking Oweh as the one free agent the Chargers can’t afford to lose:

“After arriving from the Ravens, Oweh instantly infused the Chargers with needed pass-rush impact. The former first-round pick compiled an 81.6 PFF pass-rush grade with 39 pressures across 13 games with the Chargers. His magnum opus was against the Patriots in the playoffs: three sacks on a 90.1 PFF pass-rushing grade.”

A first-round pick in 2021, Oweh had a 10-sack outburst in 2024, but otherwise seemed to struggle to meet expectations. He had 7.5 sacks in 12 games after arriving with the Chargers after recording none with the Ravens before being traded.

Playing on the same unit as Mack helps, sure. But the Chargers will need to think about life after Mack this offseason, should he leave or retire. And they might need to think about life after coordinator Jesse Minter, too, so retaining Oweh would be the smart move.

Even if Mack leaves, pairing Oweh with Tuli Tuipulotu as the foundational building block of the pass-rush’s future is a smooth win for the Chargers. It eliminates the area as a top need going into the draft and frankly, isn’t going to be an utterly massive contract.

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