Odafe Oweh makes his stance about possible Chargers return in free agency clear

There weren't many bright spots from the Los Angeles Chargers' wild card loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night. One of them was Odafe Oweh's three sacks, which was a single-game postseason franchise record.

It wasn't just Sunday night's game, Oweh has been producing ever since being traded to the Bolts ahead of the deadline. The Chargers sent Alohi Gilman to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Oweh, along with a day three pick swap. Gilman has played well for the Ravens, but it's safe to say the Chargers got the better end of the deal so far.

The only caveat now is that Oweh is set to be a free agent. The only way this trade can make complete sense for the Chargers is if they retain Oweh long term. Luckily for them, they have the resources to make that happen.

Odafe Oweh wants to stay with Chargers ahead of free agency

Odafe Oweh: "I feel like we're a better team. And Any other day, we beat them. We just ain't have it today, so that's the more annoying part."

Oweh is an unrestricted free agent but said he wants to be in L.A. He had three sacks today, a single game postseason franchise record.
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) January 12, 2026

Oweh spent the 2025-26 season playing on his fifth-year option, as the former 2021 first rounder had a $9.57 million cap hit. He had 10 sacks for the Ravens in 2024, along with 7.5 in just 12 games for the Chargers. Factor in the three sacks he had against the Patriots, Oweh ended his first Chargers season with 10.5 sacks in 13 games.

Spotrac has Oweh's average annual value set at $19.3 million, with a projected contract of three years, $57.9 million. The Chargers have more than enough room to make this happen, as they have the most cap space in the league this offseason. The Bolts are slated to have $103.5 million in available space to work with, before cuts and restructures.

In an offseason where they need to make drastic changes, Oweh is a decision that should be a no-brainer.

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