Under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, the expectation is that the Los Angeles Chargers will be able to match much of the defensive dominance they found over the past two seasons.
O'Leary has all the tools, and the play-calling experience, to continue to evolve Jesse Minter's zone-heavy scheme, maximizing their talent in the secondary and leveraging Derwin James Jr. in the nickel/dime role that has anchored the Chargers defense in the Jim Harbaugh era.
Of course, there will be changes. O'Leary wants the defensive front to play wider and with more alignment versatility— opening the door for pieces like Dalvin Tomlinson and Akheem Mesidor to make greater impacts than they would on many other defenses. The success of O'Leary's first season will depend on his ability to leverage not just the stars but also the rotational contributors on his side of the ball.
But one under-the-radar storyline this offseason for Los Angeles has been just how much they'll truly depend on a bounce-back season from star off-ball linebacker Daiyan Henley. Whether O'Leary wants to return to his blitz-heavy roots or attempt to suffocate teams in coverage, Henley will have a massive role to play as a Swiss Army-knife linebacker.
But as Henley enters the final year of his contract, Los Angeles must also face the reality of his looming extension.
Daiyan Henley's looming resurgence could leave the Chargers with a hefty bill to foot next offseason
After a rookie season spent primarily as a special-teams tool, Henley stepped into the starting 11 for the Chargers in 2024. His production was immediately eye-popping. Across 17 games, he amassed 147 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, and three QB hits.
2025, though, was much tougher for Henley. He faced both a serious illness and the loss of his brother early in the season, and understandably, wasn't able to reach the same heights of production over the rest of the campaign. He still amassed 103 combined tackles— and his sack numbers saw an uptick— but it was clear there was still more to be unlocked in his game with a fully healthy season.
2026 provides Henley a chance to accomplish that, and Los Angeles desperately needs it.
Beyond Henley, they have Denzel Perryman as their other starting inside linebacker. Although Perryman is still a capable run defender, his abilties in coverage are waning, and it's likely that this is his final NFL season. Troy Dye continued his role as a major rotational piece for the Chargers defense in 2025, but he's entering the final season of his two-year, $5.5 million contract. Neither Junior Colson or Marlowe Wax have proved their ability to sustain success as rotational contributors on the defense to this point.
Henley, therefore, will be tasked with shouldering a major workload, both in coverage and as an additional pass rusher, in 2026. But he's also entering the final season of his rookie deal, and there hasn't been any serious buzz around nailing down an extension this offseason.
A deal in the range of $13-15 million annually isn't out of the realm of possibility for Henley, especially given the role he'll be tasked with this season. It won't hamstring the Chargers financially, but it's a serious consideration with extensions for Joe Alt and and Tuli Tuipulotu still lingering.
Los Angeles, therefore, is left with a conundrum. They must lean on a bounce-back year from Henley, but they will be left footing the bill for a massive campaign if it ultimately comes to fruition.
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