Even with a new defensive coordinator in Chris O'Leary, the Los Angeles Chargers are well-positioned to re-establish the dominance they found on that side of the ball over the past two seasons.
Under Jesse Minter, the Chargers posted back-to-back top 10 finishes in total passing yards allowed, and almost every playmaker on the defense was maximized. Even without a bona fide star beyond do-it-all safety Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles found a way to stifle opponents through their zone-heavy attack on a weekly basis.
Under O'Leary, the defensive infrastructure should largely be the same. Apart from some minor tweaks, including wider alignments along the defensive line and perhaps a more comprehensive blitz package, the star playmakers from Minter's iteration of the Chargers defense should remain dominant forces.
That includes Tuli Tuipulotu, who's in line for a massive pay-raise this offseason as Los Angeles sorts out his extension. Although Tuipulotu had his breakout season in 2025, his looming contract and his potential for a repeat performance in 2026 have a chance to cement him as a true star on a league-wide scale.
Right now, Tuipulotu is flying somewhat under the radar. It won't be that way for long.
Tuli Tuipulotu is the Chargers' next breakout star— and 2026 will cement that fact
Across his first two seasons in Los Angeles, Tuipulotu showed distinct promise as a versatile pass rusher across from Khalil Mack, aligning both on the edge and on the interior and consistently providing disruption in the backfield at every juncture. His production, however, didn't fully reflect that until 2025.
With both Odafe Oweh and Mack in the fold, Tuipulotu's pass-rushing opportunities were maximized. He posted 13 sacks, 70 total pressures, and two forced fumbles, per Pro Football Focus.
It was more than sheer size and strength that produced these numbers, though. In 2025, Tuipulotu showed an agility and a finesse that had largely been dormant through the first two seasons of his career— there was a nuance to his pass rush skill-set that wasn't fully there before.
Now, Tuipulotu is set to make somewhere around $30 million annually on his next deal, firmly putting him in the company of stars like Jaelan Phillips, Travon Walker, and Nick Bosa. If O'Leary's scheme is able to maximize the Chargers' pass rush rotation to the extent that Minter's did, Tuipulotu will be able to quickly justify that number
But on a league-wide scale, Tuipulotu is still somewhat underrated. He didn't even receive votes in Jeremy Fowler's recent edge rusher rankings for ESPN, and there are few fans in discourse around the league that would put him near the top 10 at his position.
But with a hefty contract comes visibility, and Tuipulotu has a real chance to capitalize on that in 2026, cementing himself as the league's next breakout defensive star.
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