The Los Angeles Chargers’ 2025 season ended with a thud, not a roar. Their 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round wasn’t just a playoff defeat-it was a snapshot of everything that went wrong this year. Justin Herbert was sacked six times in that game alone, a fitting capstone to a season where protection was more theory than practice.
Let’s put it in perspective: the Chargers cycled through more offensive line combinations than any team in the league. That kind of instability up front is a quarterback’s nightmare, and Herbert lived it week after week, taking 54 sacks over the course of the season. You don’t need to be a film junkie to know that’s unsustainable for any offense, let alone one built around a franchise QB.
So what’s next? Fixing the offensive line has to be priority No. 1 this offseason, and there’s already buzz that the Chargers could make a big move in free agency-specifically targeting Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo.
Seumalo might be turning 33 next season, but he’s still playing like a guy in his prime. He ranked second among all guards in pass block win rate this year at 96.9%, which is elite by any standard. That kind of consistency and reliability is exactly what the Chargers have been missing on the interior.
Over the past three seasons, Seumalo has been a steady presence on Pittsburgh’s offensive line, even earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2024. Before that, he spent seven seasons in Philadelphia, where he was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2017. He’s got experience, leadership, and a proven track record of success-all traits the Chargers could use in the trenches.
If Los Angeles does land Seumalo, it could be a game-changer. Pair him with bookend tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater-both expected to return healthy-and suddenly the Chargers’ offensive line starts to look like a real strength instead of a glaring weakness. That’s the kind of foundation Herbert needs to get this offense firing on all cylinders again.
The Chargers don’t need a total rebuild-they need to get healthy, get stable up front, and give their quarterback time to do what he does best. Signing Seumalo would be a major step in that direction.