Despite entering the offseason with the second-most cap space in the NFL, the LA Chargers did not make the big move that fans were expecting. Instead, the Chargers operated around the fringes to raise the overall floor of the roster in 2025.
The biggest external signing the Chargers made this offseason was none other than right guard Mekhi Becton. Fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles, Becton signed a two-year, $19.8 million contract with the Chargers to start at right guard.
Becton is someone who the Chargers front office has had interest in for quite some time. In fact, general manager Joe Hortiz revealed during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that the Chargers discussed signing Becton before the Eagles ultimately signed him last year.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said the Chargers discussed signing Mekhi Becton last year after the 2024 NFL Draft before Philadelphia got him.
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) May 1, 2025
Chargers right a wrong by signing Mekhi Becton after his strong Eagles tenure
The Chargers were strapped for cash last offseason but had the means to sign Becton if they decided to. Los Angeles seemingly decided against it, as Becton signed a one-year deal with the Eagles shortly thereafter.
Hortiz's wording makes it seem as if the Chargers never actually made an offer for Becton and instead were just talking about him as a potential option. With Becton signing elsewhere, it is safe to assume the Chargers passed on the chance to sign him.
That may seem egregious now but no Chargers fan was losing sleep over it at the time. After all, Becton hadn't proven anything in the NFL at that point and was on a fast track to being a bust. It wasn't until the Eagles moved him to right guard that he had any success.
The Chargers made their own position change, moving Trey Pipkins from right tackle to right guard after the addition of Joe Alt. It didn't work out in the Chargers' case while it was extremely fruitful for the Eagles.
Thankfully, the Chargers learned from their mistakes and signed Becton to replace Pipkins at the starting right guard this season. But it doesn't stop Chargers fans from playing the what-if game because LA would have been a completely different team with Becton last season.
The interior offensive line was one of the biggest holes on the roster and it showed in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans. Justin Herbert was under constant pressure due to the atrocious play on the interior.
If Becton would have been in LA playing at the same level as he was in Philadelphia then everything could have been different. Perhaps the Chargers get past the Texans to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round, and who knows what would have happened in a third matchup between the two teams.
But alas, none of that happened because the team put full faith in Pipkins to start at right guard.