The Los Angeles Chargers have had a highly productive offseason, even if there are some doubts as to the viability of all of their moves.
Their complete reworking of the interior offensive line has room to produce major results— even if the team just works their way into average pass protection this season. Their additions of Charlie Kolar and David Njoku in the tight end room, coupled with the emergence of Oronde Gadsden II as a genuine explosive-play threat, could also come to pay major dividends.
But at the end of the day, any level of optimism for an offensive resurgence from the Chargers lies on the shoulders of Mike McDaniel and his scheme. If McDaniel is able to find a way to maximize Herbert and the blocking and pass-catching talent Los Angeles has at its disposal, this will be a formidable team from the jump.
As the offseason wears on, therefore, the Chargers' most overlooked signing continues to crystallize in importance. If McDaniel is going to find the success he wants in Los Angeles, fullback Alec Ingold is going to have a major role to play.
Alec Ingold will be a key piece in the Chargers' offensive resurgence, even if it comes in a limited role
Under Greg Roman, the Chargers' plan was to base the offense on their run game. The injuries to both Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris obviously put a damper on that vision. But even with both of those playmakers healthy, it was clear Los Angeles didn't have the personnel to execute Roman's vision.
The interior offensive line was incredibly shaky, and Scott Matlock's abilities as a blocker in space were limited. Across the Chargers' first three games of 2025 (Harris went down in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos), Los Angeles averaged just 92.3 yards on the ground— a mark that would've been 31st in the league if stretched over the whole season.
If Matlock wasn't sufficient in Roman's scheme as an additional blocker, he certainly wouldn't have been able to handle the movement-heavy, outside-zone run game that's characteristic of McDaniel's attack. The signing of Ingold to a two-year, $7.5 million deal was therefore a necessity this offseason.
Even in Miami, Ingold's role wasn't much more expansive than Matlock's. In 2025, Ingold played 37% of the Dolphins' offensive snaps. Matlock played 31% for the Chargers.
But even with running backs as explosive as Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, Ingold's mobility and blocking abilities will be the X-factor in unlocking their potential within McDaniel's scheme, regardless of how many snaps he ultimately sees on the field.
The Chargers have certainly had their steals this offseason. They signed Tyler Biadasz, for example, to a three-year, $30 million deal— a contract he has the potential to quickly outperform. But given what Ingold potentially represents to this offense, the eighth-year fullback has a real chance to become Los Angeles' most underrated move of the offseason.
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