The Chargers already have enough to worry about up front, so any hint of trouble with Cameron Dicker was going to draw attention fast.
That’s exactly what happened Thursday night in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, when Dicker headed to the medical tent after missing a 49-yard field goal late in the first half. For a team that has already lost new center Tyler Biadasz for the 2026 campaign and spent last season dealing with catastrophic injury misfortune on its offensive line, even a brief scare around the kicker felt worth watching closely.
Dicker tried to shut it down quickly afterward. “Nothing’s wrong,” the 2025 Pro Bowl selection told ESPN's Kris Rhim after the Chargers' 20-18 loss. “All good.”
Jim Harbaugh didn’t sound alarmed either, though his wording wasn’t quite the same. The head coach said the 26-year-old is “working through something,” per Rhim.
That leaves the Chargers with a little mixed messaging, but also some time. They have just over two weeks before facing the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 13, and they’ll be hoping Dicker is fully settled by then.
It matters because Dicker has been one of the steadier pieces in the lineup. Last season, he made 38 of 41 field goal attempts and missed only one of his 35 extra-point tries. He was especially sharp from distance, going 5-of-6 on kicks from 50 yards or longer.
With Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton and Mike McDaniel in the fold, Los Angeles still has plenty of talent. But if the protection issues keep piling up, the Chargers need every reliable point they can get. Dicker is one of them.
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Raiders Just Created A Quarterback Tension Fans Will Watch Closely
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For the Chargers, any move that affects the Raiders at quarterback matters because it shapes the landscape they have to navigate twice a year. Jim Harbaugh, meanwhile, is still sorting out his own offensive front after Tyler Biadaszs ACL injury, with Kayode Awosika currently leading the left guard battle, so the Chargers are watching both their division rival and their own protection issues at the same time. [Read more 🡒]