The Los Angeles Chargers were largely conservative in their spending this offseason in spite of their league-leading amount of cap space. If the pieces they've installed along the offensive line work out, it will prove to be the right stance.
Both Tuli Tuipulotu and Derwin James are eligible for extensions this offseason, and both should command a hefty price tag. Tuipulotu is coming off a 13-sack season as the Chargers' alpha pass-rusher. James remains as important as ever in the middle of the Los Angeles secondary, and he'll be integral to preventing any regression under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary.
But the Chargers have an even more frightening pay-raise to grant next offseason. Joe Alt, who's been among the premier offensive tackles in the NFL when he's been healthy, will be due for his second contract. With the current state of things, Alt should be slated to earn around the same as the four-year, $114 million deal Rashawn Slater signed with the team last offseason.
But a recent piece by Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, which outlines different NFL executives' predictions for next offseason, makes clear that we could see a jump in the tackle market in 2027. Alt's negotiations could be at the forefront.
"Executives agree that offensive tackle should be primed for a jump, with Washington's Laremy Tunsil the only tackle earning above $30 million per year. But those same execs are not convinced that the jump will happen, because many of the premier players at the position are older and already well paid. Chicago's Darnell Wright and Los Angeles' Joe Alt are upcoming names to watch there." Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Joe Alt's next deal could help break an NFL contract barrier
If you draft players at premium positions that turn into stars, you pay them what they're worth. It's a simple adage, and it's one that most of the NFL adheres to.
Alt is certainly that type of player. He received down-ballot Offensive Rookie of the Year votes in 2024, allowing just 20 pressures on 602 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Although he was limited to just six games in 2025 with a severe ankle injury, he showed enough in that short stint to warrant Pro Bowl honors as a sophomore. If he can stay healthy this season, he should be a shoe-in for massive extension.
Since Alt was a first-round pick, the Chargers do have the fifth-year option on Alt's contract. But given the hefty price those options carry for offensive linemen, it's more likely Los Angeles tries to ink Alt long-term before they even get to that point.
As Fowler points out, Alt and Darnell Wright of the Chicago Bears will likely be among the next two offensive linemen with the potential to break $30 million annual-value threshold. All of the tackles near the top (including Rashawn Slater) are already on their second or third contracts. Their earnings potential is mostly set in stone.
This trend could obviously have serious implications for the Chargers. If Alt is at the forefront of a jump in the tackle market, Los Angeles could be left paying upwards of $65 million for their star tackle pairing.
But it also means that Los Angeles, along with Chicago, could get the chance to set the standard for the rest of the NFL as contracts at the tackle position continue to rise.
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