The Los Angeles Chargers are heading into their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals with most of the roster picture already clear. Left guard is the one spot that still feels unsettled.
That matters because the Chargers need cleaner protection for Justin Herbert than they got a season ago, and the fact that no starter has been announced yet makes this a position worth watching as Sunday approaches.
The competition has shifted over the course of camp and the preseason. Kayode Awosika, rookie Jake Slaughter, Branson Taylor, and Trey Pipkins III all spent time in the mix at left guard. Then the picture changed again when Slaughter moved into the starting center role after Tyler Biadasz went down and was ruled out for the season with significant damage done to his ACL.
Taylor is also out of the running for now after being placed on IR with an upper body injury. He has to miss at least the first four games, and his status makes it look like he has effectively been pushed into a depth role on the interior of the offensive line.
That leaves Awosika and Pipkins as the real contenders for the job.
Last week, Jim Harbaugh said the battle was still ongoing and noted that there was nothing stopping the Chargers from playing both players. That would be a notable choice, because offensive line play usually depends heavily on continuity, and rotating guards can make it harder to settle things up front.
Sunday could offer the first clue about how Los Angeles plans to handle it. The Cardinals have Walter Nolan III and Roy Lopez working on the interior, so the Chargers may have a real test there right away. It will be worth seeing who gets the first snap at left guard - and whether Harbaugh chooses to rotate the position.
Awosika has been viewed as the favorite throughout camp, but the fact that the team still hasn’t officially named him the starter keeps the door open for Pipkins. For now, that uncertainty is the story.
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Jim Harbaugh confirmed the decision, but the larger picture up front still looks fluid. Even with Awosika set to open the season in the spot, the Chargers may continue to mix and match different offensive line combinations as they settle on the best five to keep Herbert upright. [Read more 🡒]