The Chargers spent the offseason doing what their 2025 line room clearly needed: stockpiling bodies and options. After an injury-ravaged season forced constant shuffling up front, Joe Hortiz and the front office went to work, bringing in new pieces around a group that now includes returning tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, plus a wave of fresh competition.
That overhaul has changed the picture for Trey Pipkins.
Pipkins, who re-signed this offseason and was expected to be the swing tackle again, has been a familiar face in Los Angeles since being taken in the third round in 2019. He’s filled in all over the line during his career - left tackle, right tackle and right guard - and in 2025 he was pushed back into the starting lineup at right tackle after Rashawn Slater’s training camp injury sent Joe Alt to the left side.
But the Chargers’ newest draft pick has forced a real shift.
Los Angeles grabbed Travis Burke, a massive offensive tackle from Memphis, with its second pick of the fourth round. Burke arrived as a raw prospect with obvious upside and, by the time preseason rolled around, he was drawing attention for all the right reasons. He worked relentlessly through the offseason and camp, then started flattening defenders in exhibition play.
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger has been tracking Burke through the whole process and didn’t hide his enthusiasm.
.@chargers @RamsNFL @Travisburke52 what an amazing preseason...Love to watch him day to day v @FiftyDeuce Counted 8 knockdowns last night... Got a bright future #boltup #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/qBQH2s14jI
That kind of showing has pushed Burke into a bigger role in the conversation. At a recent press conference, Jim Harbaugh said Burke’s rise has opened the door for Pipkins to compete at left guard. Harbaugh also indicated the team is comfortable with Burke handling swing tackle duties ahead of Pipkins.
Jim Harbaugh said the competition at left guard is still ongoing between Trey Pipkins and Kayode Awosika.Harbaugh said Travis Burke’s emergence as a swing tackle has made it possible that the Chargers play both Penning and Awosika. Harbaugh called it “platooning” guards and… pic.twitter.com/hNbue3toQW
That doesn’t make Pipkins disposable. Quite the opposite.
The Chargers still value what he brings because he can cover tackle and guard, and that kind of flexibility matters on a line that got stretched thin a year ago. In 2025, Los Angeles used seven different players at left tackle and five at right tackle, and Pipkins led the tackles in total snaps.
Still, the depth chart has moved. If one of the starting tackles goes down, Burke looks like the next man up now, not Pipkins. The veteran remains important because he can fill multiple spots, but the younger tackle has clearly moved ahead in the pecking order.
For Pipkins, the path to this point says plenty. He came into the league as a small-school prospect facing a heavy load of expectations from the previous front office, then invested his own time and money working with OLine Masterminds and trainer Duke Manyweather in Texas to sharpen his game. He has taken on whatever role the team has asked of him, and that willingness has made him a trusted piece in the building.
There are plenty of veteran linemen around the league who won’t budge from their preferred position or accept a backup job until injuries create an opening somewhere else. Pipkins has been the opposite.
He’s been adaptable, patient and useful - and he’s been in Los Angeles long enough for the Chargers to finally draft someone who can climb past him. Even then, the expectation is that both will matter before this season is over.
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Weases lone game with Miami last season ended with a touchdown, a noteworthy footnote for a player still trying to carve out a larger role. For the Chargers, it is another low-risk addition to a wide receiver room that could use bodies and familiarity as the season gets underway, and another reminder that McDaniels fingerprints keep showing up in unexpected places around this roster. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Still Have One Starting Job That Could Affect Herbert Fast
The Chargers have their 53-man roster set, but one of the more important camp battles still hasnt been resolved: who opens the season at left guard. Jim Harbaugh has framed it as a two-man race between Kayode Awosika and Trey Pipkins III, with the staff even considering a setup that could involve both players. For a team built around Justin Herbert, the answer matters quickly because the protection in front of him will help shape how smoothly the offense starts.
Awosika brings a chance to claim the job on merit, while Pipkins offers a familiar option who has already spent time in a starting role. The Chargers do not appear rushed to force a decision, and this could be one of those lineup calls that gets settled before the opener or evolves as the season moves along. Either way, it remains one of the few spots on the roster where the competition still feels genuinely open. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers May Be Better Prepared At Center Than Fans Realize
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Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has been among those encouraged by what he has seen, pointing to Slaughters consistency and impressive showing throughout the summer. The Chargers will still be asking a rookie to handle plenty, but he does not appear to be doing it alone, with veteran teammates and coaches around him as he settles into a role the team now needs him to own right away. [Read more 🡒]