The Chargers’ biggest offseason question is still sitting right in front of them, and general manager Joe Hortiz didn’t exactly hide that fact.
Los Angeles is heading into preseason with a lot to monitor, but the loudest storyline remains the same one that helped sink last year: the offensive line. The tackle spots look settled with a healthy Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater back in place, but the interior is where the uncertainty lives. That’s where the Chargers know they have work to do.
Hortiz made that clear when ESPN NFL analyst Kris Rhim captured his message on the team’s next steps. The three-word version was simple: “We’re not done.”
Hortiz expanded on that point, saying, “We’re not done on the offensive line, I can promise you that.”
That’s the kind of quote that gets fans leaning in. It sounds like movement is coming, and it certainly suggests the front office is still hunting for answers up front. Whether that means a signing, another roster move, or something else entirely is still up in the air.
Josh Davis of Clutch Points read Hortiz’s comment as a sign of urgency, pointing to the issues that plagued the unit last season. Injuries at tackle and uneven guard play left Justin Herbert under too much pressure, and the Chargers seem intent on avoiding a repeat. Davis also noted that the team’s draft approach appears to be sharpening around linemen who fit a movement-based system in the new offensive setup, while adding depth through free agency and the draft could give the Chargers more flexibility.
That flexibility matters, because the Chargers are trying to build something sturdier than just a patchwork fix. Hortiz’s words leave room for more than one kind of move, and they don’t guarantee the addition fans may be hoping for.
He could be talking about a signing. He could be talking about cuts.
He could be talking about both.
Either way, the message is that the work isn’t finished.
And for Chargers fans, that’s the part that matters most. They don’t want a line that merely survives.
They want one that can hold up, keep Herbert protected, and give the offense a real foundation. With preseason approaching, the next roster decisions up front are going to get plenty of attention.
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