As the Los Angeles Chargers prepare for their pivotal Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, their opponent's pass rush will represent yet another trial for their shaky, struggling offensive line, and their playoff push depends upon their ability to overcome it.
Now, however, with the team having announced that fourth-year tackle Jamaree Salyer will get the start on the left side of the line, they have effectively admitted defeat on their lone potentially difference-making move at the trade deadline: their deal for Trevor Penning.
While starting Salyer is likely the right move given how Penning and his counterpart, Austin Deculus, have struggled to maintain any sort of protection for Justin Herbert, this serves as just another dismal example of the state that Los Angeles's offense is in.
Starting Salyer is the right move, but it does not reflect well upon the Chargers' front office
As the Chargers have soared and stumbled to a 7-4 record heading into their final stretch of the season, their main limiting factor has been both the injuries and the inconsistent play that their offensive line has experienced. They have lost both starting tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, to season-ending injuries, and their backups have not been able to cobble together even a semblance of capable pass protection.
Meanwhile, the interior of the offensive line, which has mostly retained all three of its starters since the start of the season, has been abysmal as well.
Therefore, the Penning trade, insofar as it only represented a swap of a sixth-round pick for a player with potential upside as a tackle, was, at the very least, a fair gamble.
Yet, in his first start for the team, Penning looked so rough that he was benched in the second half, and, now, Salyer, who the team has largely avoided turning to all season, will start in his place.
Salyer started 31 games for the Chargers between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but his inconsistent play ultimately led to him falling down the depth chart, and he's only started five games over the past two seasons although being fully healthy.
In the long run, the Penning trade (hopefully) is not a disastrous organizational move. However, his already having been benched for another backup is a dismal sign for the state of both the team's offensive line and their ability to evaluate talent at that position.