Chargers have an undeniable reason to re-sign Zion Johnson this offseason

Mekhi Becton was meant to fix the LA Chargers' struggling interior offensive line in 2025. Instead, 2022 first-round pick Zion Johnson emerged as the best player on the interior. Becton, meanwhile, turned in a season far worse than anyone would have imagined when he was signed last March.

Johnson was a positive in what was otherwise an atrocious offensive line last season. His efforts were mostly buried because the play around him was so poor. As such, Johnson unexpectedly turned into one of the most overlooked players on the roster.

Those who still don't believe in Johnson's 2025 turnaround just have to look at the numbers. Even in a season where Justin Herbert was pressured more than any quarterback in the league, Johnson finished in the top 10 in pressure rate. His name is up there with the best in the league.

Chargers clearly should re-sign Zion Johnson

Yes, in a perfect world the Chargers would have five offensive linemen who are all better than Johnson. But it's not realistic to expect the Bolts to have five great offensive linemen. If Johnson is the "weak link" then the Chargers are in a great spot.

And that's not even to suggest that Johnson is a weak player. The 3.92% pressure rate indicates otherwise. Johnson's 2025 campaign shows real growth that warrants a new contract from the Chargers. It's much easier to maintain this production and build off it vs. completely revamping the entire interior offensive line.

In all likelihood, the Chargers are going to replace Becton and center Bradley Bozeman this offseason. Adding left guard to that list is unnecessary, especially when the Chargers already have the solution in-house.

Yes, Johnson has struggled in the past and failed to live up to his first-round price tag. That's the entire reason why the Chargers rejected his fifth-year rookie option. But that move sent a message to Johnson to improve, and he clearly did just that in 2025.

Pro Football Focus projects Johnson to sign a four-year, $51 million contract with $27 million guaranteed. His cap hit in the first season would likely fall in the $8-9 million range on this deal, which can be paid for alone by cutting Becton.

At just 26 years old, Johnson's best football is still ahead of him. With ample cap space, and the means to create even more space if needed, there's no excuse for the Chargers to reward Johnson for his strong play last season.

The only hope is that other NFL teams don't take notice. Los Angeles doesn't need to get in a bidding war for Johnson, but the team definitely needs to make it a priority to bring him back. If certain fans didn't believe that before, hopefully these numbers are an eye-opener.