We know the turmoil that faced the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive line last season.
60 sacks. Austin Deculus and Bobby Hart starting at tackle. A league-worst center in Bradley Bozeman, and an inconsistent right guard in Mekhi Becton. All of these factors comined to make one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and it's the factor that ultimately prevented the Chargers from presenting a real threat when they arrived in the postseason.
The trade deadline move for Trevor Penning, in which Joe Hortiz sent off a 2027 sixth-round draft selection in exchange for the former first-round pick, was defensible under these circumstances. It even made sense when the Chargers signed him to a one-year, $3.5 million deal this offseason to help shore up some of their depth at guard.
But Penning has routinely disappointed during his time in Los Angeles, and he struggled with injuries this offseason that took him out of the competition for the starting left guard spot almost as soon as it kicked off. Now, on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Penning was listed as inactive alongside rookie linemen Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey.
It's not the most disastrous trade in the world, but we know that Hortiz certainly doesn't like to sacrifice late-round draft capital. In that light, the Chargers' move for Penning seems to have officially hit rock bottom.
Trevor Penning doesn't have a path to snaps on this Chargers team—and let's hope it stays that way
The Chargers' turmoil at the guard spots still hasn't been figured out, and that might be the most frustrating part of this Week 1 loss to Arizona. Los Angeles insisted on rotating Kayode Awosika and Trey Pipkins III in with the starting offensive line. The results, needless to say, weren't great.
For a team with $100 million in cap space, this is an unacceptable outcome. Two halves of a starting guard do not add up to a piece capable of keeping Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme afloat. But even with that in mind, Penning's placement on the inactives list doesn't bode well for his future in Los Angeles.
Although Penning dealt with injuries during the offseason program and training camp, he was listed as fully healthy in the week leading up to the Chargers' first matchup of the season. This is likely a talent decision—Los Angeles felt better about keeping Pipkins as a potential replacement at either left or right guard than they did having Penning as a backup at the position.
The numbers justify that stance. Across the two games in which Penning saw significant snaps for Los Angeles last season, he allowed 10 pressures and two sacks, per Pro Football Focus.
As of now, Penning is the fourth guard on the roster behind Strange, Awosika, and Pipkins. But what happens when Branson Taylor returns from the IR? Does he join the 53-man roster, and is Los Angeles willing to move either Harkey or Logan Taylor to the practice squad?
Penning seems dangerously close to being a cut candidate just one game into his first full season in Los Angeles. No matter what sort of capital you gave up, that's a failed move.
We'll see how things unfold with the inactives list next week, but it seems as though Penning has officially lost any shot he had at major snaps with the Chargers.
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