If you were to quiz a group of 100 random LA Chargers fans on the team's best contract most would likely say Justin Herbert. After all, Herbert is a franchise quarterback and his average annual salary is somehow lower than several quarterbacks who are not as talented.
While Herbert's contract is undoubtedly a great thing for the Chargers, it is not the best contract on the books. Instead, the best contract goes to someone who provides All-Pro level play and is doing so while being one of the most affordable players on the roster.
It is a bit of a cheat code because this player is still on their rookie contract, but that just highlights the homerun the Chargers hit in the 2024 NFL Draft. The best contract on the Bolts goes to none other than Ladd McConkey.
Why Ladd McConkey has the best contract on the Chargers:
It's really quite simple. In McConkey, the Chargers have one of the best and most productive young wideouts in the entire NFL. McConkey came on really strong at the tail end of the 2025 season and if he keeps his production up he has legitimate All-Pro potential.
It's not every day you get someone who plays at an All-Pro level for less than $2.5 million. McConkey carries a $2.2 million cap hit in 2025 when his level of play is worth at least 10 times that on the open market.
Of course, this bargain won't last forever. McConkey's rookie deal runs for four seasons in which his top cap hit is $3.1 million in his fourth season. That's when the Chargers will have to open the check book for who will likely be one of the best receivers in the entire league at that time.
Craziest of all, Herbert doesn't even have the second-best contract behind McConkey. The silver medal goes to fellow 2024 NFL Draft pick Joe Alt. Alt also has All-Pro potential and you could even make the case that he has a higher chance of being an All-Pro in 2025 than McConkey does.
Alt's cap hit is more than triple McConkey's because he was the No. 5 pick. However, Alt's contract comes with the added benefit of a fifth-year rookie option since he was a first-round pick. Second-round picks do not have the same perk.
The 2024 NFL Draft was a special one for the Chargers as the team picked up two foundational members of the roster who allow the team to get aggressive in other areas with added salary-cap space. Hopefully, the 2025 draft class can have the same impact.