There, frankly, is room for regression on the Los Angeles Chargers' defense under new coordinator Chris O'Leary. Jesse Minter was excellent at elevating the talent they had available, especially in the secondary. Even with O'Leary's experience under Minter, there's a chance that he's unable to replicate some of those successes.
There's also a strong chance, however, that O'Leary is able to continue building on what Minter was trying to accomplish with the roster. He'll certainly have the tools at his disposal. The Chargers added Akheem Mesidor, Genesis Smith, and Nick Barrett through the Draft, and they added a run-stuffing nose tackle in Dalvin Tomlinson through free agency.
If O'Leary is able to work this fresh talent into Los Angeles' existing defensive structure, that will be a major boon to their chances of replicating what they accomplished under Minter. But there are also pieces that were already the roster in 2025 that have ample room to grow this season.
Not the least among these is DT Teair Tart, who had a breakout campaign in 2025. He inked a three-year, $30 million extension with the Chargers at the start of this offseason. Now, DL coach Mike Elston has outlined the plan to maximize Tart's talents in 2026, stating that they'll line him up wider at times with the additions of Tomlinson and Barrett, allowing them to maximize his disruptive abilities in the backfield.
Chargers DL coach Mike Elston said Teair Tart will play “a little bit wider at times,” as they look to maximize his playmaking ability.
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) May 19, 2026
Elston also said Justin Eboigbe “really wasn’t a focal point” of the third-down package last year, but expects that to change after his…
Teair Tart could be poised for another breakout in 2026
Tart was one of the Chargers' most promising developments in 2025. After coming to the team in free agency to partially replace the production of departing nose tackle Poona Ford, he posted 32 combined tackles and four tackles for loss across 17 games. He more than earned his three-year extension with his performance.
But he was primarily used as a run defender, filling an immediate need for Los Angeles. He played 60 snaps lined up as a nose tackle and 363 snaps lined up over a guard, per Pro Football Focus.
Evidently, the coaching staff sees a path to maximzing his talents in a different way in 2026.
Tart, although a solid run defender, is simply highly disruptive wherever you place him along the defensive line. He doesn't have the athleticism to operate as a pure edge rusher, but the tools are there to utilize him as an additional pass rusher in certain situations.
Elston also stated that they're planning on utilizing Justin Eboigbe more frequently in their third-down packages. Combined with the additions of Barrett and Tomlinson, this will free up Tart on passing downs to potentially get into the backfield and make disruptive plays.
It remains to be seen what the balance will be across their pass rush as a whole. First-round draft pick Akheem Mesidor also has alignment versatility, meaning that he can be pushed inside, like Tuli Tuipulotu, when necessary.
But it's clear that the defensive staff as a whole thinks Tart has even more potential than what he showed in 2025. If he warrants it, the extra opportunities could give him an entirely new layer to his game this season.
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