The LA Chargers wasted no time re-signing Elijah Molden, signing the breakout safety to a three-year contract weeks before free agency even begins. This is the first of many dominoes that will fall this offseason, and hopefully, the first of several internal free agents who return to the Chargers.
Los Angeles won't be able to re-sign every free agent this offseason nor should the team. Naturally, there will be players the Chargers don't want to bring back, and players the Chargers want to bring back who end up elsewhere.
It is important for the Chargers to prioritize who they want to re-sign and who they are more comfortable letting walk. If it was up to us, we would tell the Chargers to take the same aggressive approach with the following free agents.
3 free agents the Chargers must re-sign after Elijah Molden:
Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack is the biggest impending free agent for the Chargers and it is no secret the team wants him back. Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz made it very clear the Chargers want to bring Mack back as he enters free agency for the first time in his career.
Unfortunately, the chances of the Chargers getting a deal done before free agency begins are virtually nonexistent.
Mack is getting the opportunity to test free agency for the first time in his career so it is unlikely he will sign a deal with the Chargers before free agency begins. The veteran edge rusher may still return to the Chargers but he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't at least see what options were out there for him.
That being said, it goes without saying that Mack should be a main priority for the Chargers this offseason; even if it takes more time.
J.K. Dobbins
The Chargers offense was notably different when J.K. Dobbins missed four games near the end of the season. Dobbins proved in 2024 that he still has juice and he can raise the floor of the running game even if the offensive line play is doing him no favors.
Dobbins is projected to receive a manageable two-year contract that the Chargers can afford. It may not be as good of a deal as a year ago but it won't have any real impact on the team's salary cap situation in 2025.
Dobbins may not be the long-term solution for the Chargers, who probably should still draft a running back, but he is a productive back who proved he can be reliable. Relying on a rookie running back with no backup plan can be dangerous and with a pretty thin free-agent market, there are no other options worth exploring.
The Chargers shouldn't think twice about bringing Dobbins back. Because of his injury history, Dobbins could follow in Molden's footsteps and sign a fair-market deal before free agency begins.
Poona Ford
Poona Ford quietly signed a one-year deal with the Chargers last March in a move that mostly went unnoticed. Even the biggest Ford supporters couldn't have predicted the impact he would have on the Chargers.
Ford was much more than a rotational depth piece at nose tackle as he played a pivotal role in setting the line of scrimmage for the Chargers. The Bolts took a huge step forward in run defense and Ford's play on the interior was a big reason why.
He may not be the most prolific pass-rushing defensive lineman and he likely won't ever earn any All-Pro or Pro Bowl nods. What Ford is, though, is a highly impactful player who does the little things right and sets the rest of the team up for success.
It has already been reported that the Chargers want to bring Ford back. Hopefully, he follows the same path as Molden.