The Los Angeles Chargers, like most teams, have already brought the bulk of their offseason business to an end.
Perhaps a return for veteran receiver Keenan Allen is still in the cards. Or maybe there's another cornerback signing hiding somewhere in training camp. But as of now, it seems as though their depth across the roster is entirely set for 2026.
But as eyes begin to turn to training camp and the looming roster battles the Chargers will need to iron out, one of the major conundrums of the offseason remains unsolved for Los Angeles. Tuli Tuipulotu, who emerged last season as one of the league's most promising young pass rushers, still does not have his extension.
He's under contract through this year, but the Chargers have maintained all offseason that this is something they want to get done rather than have Tuipulotu play through the final season of his rookie deal. But the closer we get to training camp, the more concerning the possibility of a hold-in becomes.
As Los Angeles shifts its defensive approach under O'Leary, they simply can't afford for a key defender to miss crucial reps over the month of August.
No news on the Tuli Tuipulotu front— even with training camp less than a week away
Although Tuipulotu showed promise in his first two seasons alongside Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, Bosa's departure last offseason truly opened the door for the USC product to emerge as an alpha pass rusher. Across 16 games, Tuipulotu amassed 70 pressures, 13 sacks, and two forced fumbles, per Pro Football Focus. He earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career, and there's room to argue he's now approaching the ranks of the NFL's top pass rushers.
His breakout couldn't have come at a better time. Although Mack's decline has been slow, it's certainly been coming. Mack was limited to 12 games last season, posting just 5.5 sacks and 32 combined tackles.
Although the addition of Akheem Mesidor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft should grant the Chargers some additional flexibility in their EDGE room, this unit doesn't work without Tuipulotu at the top of his game. Especially considering the aggression that O'Leary is likely to implement in the pass rush, Tuipulotu could easily become the Chargers' most important defender outside of Derwin James in 2026.
At this juncture, there's been no real indication of what Tuipulotu's final contract value will be, although it's relatively safe to assume it will fall somewhere between $25 and $30 million annually. Tuipulotu deserves that wholeheartedly, although it could create issues down the road as Los Angeles attempts to extend Joe Alt and their other key pieces.
But with a new defensive scheme being implemented, Los Angeles can't truly afford to allow a quibble over numbers to extend into training camp. Each training camp rep— not just for Tuipulotu but for the edge rushers who will operate alongside him— takes on an increased importance this offseason.
The Chargers' first official day of camp is July 29. They must do everything they can between now and then to avoid a hold-in for Tuipulotu.
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