What if the Chargers ended up owning the sack race in 2026?
That’s the kind of question that feels a little off at first, especially with the Rams making all the loudest offseason noise in Los Angeles. Both teams share SoFi Stadium, both reached the playoffs last season as wild cards, and both took very different paths from there.
Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers were done in the first round by the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots, 16-3. Shawn McVay’s Rams, meanwhile, won on the road against the Panthers and Bears before falling in the NFC title game at Seattle.
The Rams have been the headline act. Their front office drew plenty of praise for a bold offseason, highlighted by trades for 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and two-time Super Bowl champion cornerback Trent McDuffie. There’s also chatter about a possible return for Aaron Donald, the 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time First Team All-Pro defensive tackle who hasn’t played since 2023.
The Chargers, by contrast, kept things much quieter in free agency, and most of their biggest additions came on offense. But that doesn’t mean the defense is sitting still. In fact, the numbers from last season already tell part of the story: Los Angeles allowed the fifth-fewest total yards and passing yards in the league in 2025, and only seven teams surrendered fewer rushing yards per game.
Training camp has only added to the buzz around that group. ESPN’s Kris Rhim has repeatedly pointed to the Chargers’ front seven, including a practice last weekend when “outside linebacker Khalil Mack was explosive throughout practice and had several would-be sacks. Tuli Tuipulotu and Nadame Tucker (pictured against the Texans in Thursday's preseason win) were also consistently disruptive off the edge.”
Rhim also noted that “defensive tackles Jamaree Caldwell, Teair Tart and (Justin) Eboigbe continued to disrupt the run game and generate pressure on the quarterback.”
Then came Tuesday, when the Bolts’ first-round pick in April made another impression. “Outside linebacker Akheem Mesidor blew by offensive lineman Travis Burke, “explained Rhim, “on a rep that might have resulted in a sack of quarterback Trey Lance. Mesidor also easily shed offensive lineman Branson Taylor on a Kimani Vidal run that likely would’ve been stopped in the backfield.”
The sack totals from 2025 suggest there’s real upside here. The Rams finished tied for seventh in the league with 47 sacks, while the Chargers were right behind them with 45.
For Los Angeles, the case is simple: Tuipulotu just turned in a Pro Bowl season with a career-high 13.0 sacks, Eboigbe added 6.0, and Mack still produced 5.5 sacks in just 12 games. Odafe Oweh, who had 7.5 sacks in midseason before leaving for Washington in free agency, is gone now, but the depth remains.
Mesidor and Tucker bring more juice, and Daiyan Henley plus Bud Dupree give new defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary more pieces to work with. If that group hits, the Chargers could make a run at the league lead.
And if that happens, it would be a throwback. The last time the Chargers led the NFL in sacks was 20 seasons ago, in 2006, when they went 14-2 and took down opposing quarterbacks 61 times. That’s the benchmark now - and maybe the number that makes this whole idea feel a lot less far-fetched.
In Other News...
Amar Johnson Just Turned Up The Heat In The Chargers Backfield
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Johnson also gave Los Angeles a look at what he can do as a receiver, which matters in a room that already includes Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Kimani Vidal, Greg DeRosiers and Jared Patterson. The Chargers are sorting through a lot of competition at one position, and Johnsons night at least made the conversation a little more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Roster Battle Just Got Tougher After What Happened In Houston
The Chargers got another look at the back end of their roster picture in Houston, where several fringe players made a case to stick around. Jahmeer Carter, Jake Slaughter, Keandre Lambert-Smith, Marlowe Wax, Amar Johnson and DJ Uiagalelei each had moments that matter in August, the kind of snaps coaches and front office staff lean on when the decision-making gets tougher later in camp. It is the sort of preseason performance that can help a player climb from the outside of the conversation to the edge of it.
Amar Johnson, in particular, added some real intrigue with a showing that caught the attention of the sideline, while Uiagaleleis night also gave the staff a chance to evaluate him in game action. For a team sorting through the final layers of its roster, games like this can quietly shape the last few spots and special teams depth, even if the bigger names barely enter the discussion. The Texans matchup did not settle anything, but it did make the competition a little more crowded. [Read more 🡒]