The Los Angeles Chargers made a smart move locking up Teair Tart to a three-year, $37.5 million extension - no question about it. Tart has been a tone-setter in the trenches, a relentless run defender who brings a physical edge to the front line.
He’s the kind of player who doesn’t just fill gaps - he owns them. But if the Chargers are serious about building a defense that can go toe-to-toe with the AFC’s elite, there’s another name that needs to be next in line: Odafe Oweh.
Oweh’s 2025 campaign was a statement. After arriving in L.A. via a midseason trade from Baltimore, he wasted no time proving he belonged.
The raw numbers tell part of the story - 7.5 sacks and 38 total tackles over 17 games - but the context makes those numbers pop. He didn’t record a single sack in his five games with the Ravens to start the year.
Once he put on the powder blue, he flipped the switch. Four sacks in his first four games as a Charger.
That’s not just production - that’s impact.
His arrival injected life into a pass rush that had been searching for answers. Suddenly, opposing quarterbacks didn’t have all day to throw.
Offensive tackles weren’t getting clean sets without having to deal with Oweh’s burst off the line. The ripple effect was immediate.
Pressure leads to mistakes, and mistakes lead to turnovers - and that’s how defenses win games in January.
Oweh isn’t just a pass rusher with speed - he’s a disruptor with upside. He’s still young, still developing, and already showing flashes of being the kind of edge presence that can tilt the field.
And when you pair him with a rising talent like Tuli Tuipulotu, you start to see the foundation of something sustainable. That’s not a fluke.
That’s a front seven with teeth.
Tart’s extension was the right call. He’s a glue guy, a locker room leader, and a force against the run.
But in today’s NFL, where the ball is flying around more than ever, edge pressure is the currency of elite defenses. You need players who can collapse the pocket, force quarterbacks off their spot, and close out games.
Tart does the dirty work, no doubt. But Oweh brings the chaos.
And that’s what wins when it counts.
The Chargers have the cap space to make this happen. They’ve shown they’re willing to invest in key pieces.
Now it’s about finishing the job. Oweh’s not just a rental or a flash in the pan - he’s a building block.
Letting him walk would mean starting over at one of the most valuable positions in the game. That’s not a risk a team with playoff aspirations can afford to take.
If the Chargers want to keep building momentum - and build a defense that doesn’t just complement Justin Herbert, but helps carry the load - extending Oweh should be the next move on the board. Tart was step one. Oweh needs to be step two.