The Chargers don’t need to chase Odell Beckham Jr. just because he’s suddenly available.
Yes, the Los Angeles offense has a real issue at wide receiver, and yes, the New York Giants’ decision to cut Beckham makes the timing feel convenient. But Beckham’s name is bigger than what he actually offered this month. He played in three games, was on the field for just 19 snaps and drew one target before the Giants moved on so they could bring in Braxton Berrios for special teams and then chose Charlie Joines over him as well.
That’s not the kind of profile the Chargers should be rushing toward.
They do need help, though. Rookie wideout Brenen Thompson is hurt.
Quentin Johnston, still labeled a borderline first-round bust here, keeps making costly mistakes in big moments. Tre Harris has upside that hasn’t been tapped yet, but he doesn’t seem to fit the speed demands of a McDaniel system, perhaps.
With that in the mix, defenses can focus on Ladd McConkey without much fear of being burned by the deep ball to the 5’8” Derius Davis.
The depth behind them isn’t exactly intimidating, either. On the practice squad, Theo Wease Jr. and Gary Jennings are just fine, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith is on injured reserve. At tight end, David Njoku and Charlie Kolar are hurt, which leaves Oronde Gadsden in the picture - though his slow slide down the depth chart under McDaniel is, in a word, concerning.
So Beckham is probably not the answer at 33. But his situation is still a useful reminder of the kind of player the Chargers should be hunting: a free agent, trade target or even a practice squad addition who can at least deepen the room and maybe grow into more.
Chargers fans would rather not be talking about this at all. A decent-looking offseason for the offense has gone sideways somewhere along the way, and now the front office has to keep its options open as they come.
In Other News...
Jim Harbaugh Just Turned Up The Pressure On Justin Herbert
After the Chargers 24-16 loss to the Bills, Jim Harbaugh did something he rarely does in public: he put the spotlight squarely on Justin Herbert. Harbaugh also made sure to note the coaching staff shares responsibility for the offenses sluggish start, but his message was plain enough. Herbert needs to be better, and the Chargers need a sharper return from a quarterback who has opened the season with more interceptions than touchdowns and a low completion percentage.
Herbert did not push back. He accepted responsibility for the offenses performance and said the turnaround begins with him, which at least keeps the conversation pointed in one direction for now. For a team trying to settle its identity under Harbaugh, the tension is obvious: the coach is demanding more from his quarterback, and the quarterback knows the next step has to come from his own play. [Read more 🡒]
Harbaughs Biggest Chargers Problem Is Starting To Cost Them
The Chargers are off to a frustrating 0-3 start, and the strange part is that the defense has given them chances to change the script. In Sundays loss, the unit forced five turnovers, a number that usually should be enough to tilt a game in your favor, but the offense could not turn those takeaways into enough points to make them matter.
What has started to draw the most scrutiny is Jim Harbaughs decision-making on fourth down. Several conservative calls ended in field goal attempts instead of a more aggressive approach that some analytics models favored, and a later fourth-and-10 try from their own 45-yard line failed and handed the opponent momentum at a pivotal moment. For a team already searching for traction, those choices are becoming part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Quentin Johnston Puts Chargers Fans Back In A Tough Spot
Sean Payton had plenty to unpack after Denvers fourth-quarter comeback, but for Chargers fans the more familiar concern came from the other sideline chatter. Quentin Johnston owned up to a costly drop in a recent loss, a reminder of how quickly a single miscue can tilt a game and reopen old doubts about the offenses reliability in tight moments.
Johnston said he understands how difficult those moments can be, and for Los Angeles thats what makes the conversation linger. The Chargers have spent enough time trying to steady themselves through uneven stretches that every missed chance gets magnified, especially when a receiver with Johnstons role is involved and the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]