The Chargers still have a key line job to settle, and Jim Harbaugh says the left guard competition isn’t locked down yet.
On Sunday, Harbaugh said Kayode Awosika is currently the leader for the spot, but he stopped short of naming him the starter.
"I don't know how close we are I mean, it's Yod's right there. There's I'd say he's the leader right now," Harbaugh said.
He also pointed to the broader shuffle happening across the front after the injury to Tyler Biadasz, who is now out for the season. That loss pushed rookie Jake Slaughter into the starting center role, which in turn changes the picture at left guard.
"Well, now the starting center. So that is, you know, that's very big.
That's very big. But you know, they got the center position, the right guard, the right tackle, left tackle, those four.
And then there's, you know, still, you know, whether whether we have nine offensive linemen, 10, 11 at the at the at the final roster, you know, there's they're all in the mix for roles, you know, starting roles and backup roles," Harbaugh added.
Before Biadasz’s injury, Slaughter had been close in the left guard race. Now that he’s moving to center, the door is wider for the other challengers.
Behind Awosika, the names in the mix include Branson Taylor, Trey Pipkins III and Alex Harkey. Pipkins looks like the most realistic threat, largely because he brings the most NFL experience to the battle. He’s entering his seventh season and has logged meaningful snaps as a depth option, plus he has started before, including last season.
Taylor and Harkey are still in the picture, but both are much less seasoned. Taylor is going into his second NFL season after playing only limited snaps as a rookie, while Harkey is preparing for his rookie year and has only the preseason reps he’s gotten in the Chargers’ first two games.
For now, Awosika remains the front-runner, but Harbaugh made it clear the job is still open.
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