The Los Angeles Chargers still have some major preseason answers to find, and the biggest ones are sitting in the margins.
Justin Herbert is locked in at quarterback, so that part of the picture is clear. The defense under new coordinator Chris O’Leary is also expected to lean into continuity from Jesse Minter’s units over the last few years. But beyond those obvious pillars, a few smaller battles could end up shaping how the season goes.
The backup quarterback situation is one of them. Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei are in what can only be described as a so-so competition behind Herbert.
Lance’s play has fallen short of expectations, especially compared to last year, and that has opened the door for Uiagalelei. What was supposed to be one of the NFL’s best backup setups has lost that shine.
There’s also real uncertainty about how both quarterbacks have adjusted to Mike McDaniel’s offense. The Chargers’ interior offensive line hasn’t exactly made life easier, but Lance is supposed to be outperforming the backups he’s seeing, while Uiagalelei is doing what you’d expect against third-string competition and beyond.
If the Chargers only keep two quarterbacks, it’s not an easy call. At this point, they’re betting on McDaniel to sort it out.
The offensive line has been its own mess since camp opened. At one point, the Chargers were tossing five different names into the mix.
Rookie Jake Slaughter looked like the early leader before the Tyler Biadasz injury moved him back to center. From there, reps have gone to Branson Taylor, free-agent addition Kayode Awosika and backup swing tackle Trey Pipkins as well.
That uncertainty matters because the rest of the offense has brought enough encouraging developments to make the line issues stand out even more. Instead, the interior could be a problem again, which would feel like a repeat of past mistakes.
There’s another roster question brewing on special teams and at the bottom of the receiver group. Someone like Thompson could make a case by contributing there and potentially pushing a Derius Davis-type off the final roster. KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a draft pick last year, still looks like a player with untapped upside, but he’s being pushed by Dalevon Campbell and Devonte Ross, too.
Those names after the top four should get their chances to make one last impression in the preseason finale.
In Other News...
Chargers Fringe Players Face One Last Shot To Survive Cutdown Day
With cutdown day approaching, the Chargers still have a handful of fringe roster battles hanging in the balance, and the preseason has given several players one last chance to make their case. Jacob Spomer, Amar Johnson, Andre Carter II, Junior Colson, TeRah Edwards and Greg Desrosiers Jr. have all been trying to turn limited opportunities into something more meaningful, whether that means a spot on the 53-man roster or a path to the practice squad.
For a team sorting through injuries and crowded position groups, those late-August evaluations matter as much as anything that happened earlier in camp. The Chargers are not just judging production in a vacuum, either, since special teams value, depth needs and positional fit all factor into the final call, leaving a few players squarely on the edge as the deadline closes in. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Special Teams Breakdown Put JK Scott Under The Spotlight
The Chargers had one of those preseason moments on special teams that can linger long after the snap, when a coverage lapse turned into an 83-yard punt return touchdown against the 49ers. Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken dug into the play afterward and made clear the problem was not a single bad bounce or one isolated miss, but a unit-wide failure to do the job on the coverage side.
JK Scott still found himself in the middle of the discussion, since Ficken said the punter should have helped finish the play and was disappointed he did not make the tackle. Even so, the emphasis was on how the coverage lost contain and opened the door for the return, a reminder that the Chargers third phase is still sorting out its details before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Have One Last Chance To Build Momentum Against The Rams
The final preseason tuneup against the Rams gives the Chargers one more shot to carry some momentum into the real thing, even if most of the familiar names are likely to be off the field quickly. Both teams have already shown their hand this month, with Los Angeles on the other side of the city winning its first two preseason games while the Chargers have split theirs, and the matchup also serves as a reminder that the clubs will see plenty more of each other when the regular season arrives on Nov. 1, 2026.
There is still enough intrigue to make this one worth watching, especially with the Rams getting strong early returns from first-round pick Ty Simpson in exhibition play. For the Chargers, though, the bigger question is how much they can glean from a game in which both coaching staffs have signaled a light workload for starters, leaving the spotlight on depth players trying to make one last impression before the preseason closes. [Read more 🡒]