The Los Angeles Chargers need to figure out their edge rusher situation this offseason. There's no question about that.
Although Tuli Tuipulotu is under contract through 2026, both Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack remain free agents. If Mack doesn't retire, it's easy to assume he'll be back in a Chargers uniform next season. Oweh, however, presents a more perilous situation.
He's projected to earn a four-year, $77 million contract this offseason. If Los Angeles ultimately believes the upside isn't there to justify footing that bill, one of Oweh's suitors will happily take it on.
The uncertainty of the situation, in fact, has led to chatter among fans and various outlets that Los Angeles could make a bid for Maxx Crosby. Crosby is widely expected to be available this offseason as the Las Vegas Raiders undergo another organizational transition.
But any intrigue in a trade for Crosby is representative of a disastrous temptation. The answer here is simple.
Bring Oweh back.
Maxx Crosby is not the player the Chargers need, and his cap hit could prove to be disastrous
Don't get it wrong. Crosby is one of the league's premier edge rushers, and bringing him to Los Angeles would be beyond exciting. He earned his fifth-straight Pro Bowl selection in 2025, amassing 10 sacks, 73 combined tackles, and 20 QB hits through just 15 games.
A recent mock trade laid out by Seth Walder at ESPN has the Chargers nabbing him for just a 2026 second and seventh-round selection and a 2027 sixth-round selection. Would the Raiders even consider trading Crosby to a division rival?
Walder seems to think so, largely as a result of the discrepancy between Crosby's prime and Las Vegas's earliest chances at contention.
But that's beside the point.
As impactful as Crosby would be, he comes with a $35 million cap hit in 2026. After that, he would be owed close to $83 million between 2027 and 2029. Although he has an easy out in his contract after 2028 that would leave the Chargers with zero dead cap, this is a debilitating amount of money to spend on one defensive position.
Los Angeles has long shown their ability to maximize their defensive pieces without splurging on a premier player. Although Jesse Minter is gone, there's little reason to believe Chris O'Leary can't do the same.
Once Oweh arrived, the Chargers maximized his presence. The combination of Oweh, Mack, and Tuipulotu was absolutely lethal once they really got going in 2025.
Oweh's projected salary is hefty, but it's still over $15 million less than what Crosby is owed next season. It would be the smartest move to simply bite the bullet on Oweh, utilizing the extra capital to re-shape the offensive line or even add an additional pass-catching weapon.
Of course, it's merely fan chatter for now. The Chargers have shown no outward interest in a move for Crosby.
If they did, it could wind up being absolutely disastrous.