The Chargers signed C Tyler Biadasz to a three year, $30 million contract on Friday. GM Joe Hortiz solved his center problem before the free agent market even opened on Monday. It was a stability signing for the Chargers in many ways. Potential target Connor McGovern ended up re-signing with the Bills yesterday. There’s still no guarantee that Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum hits free agency. In a sense, one in the hand is worth more than two in the bush.
More good news has dropped about the Chargers’ deal with Biadasz. Tyler Schoon of the Guilty as Charged Podcast has reported his 2026-2028 contract numbers. The cap hits are reportedly as follows:
2026: $4.25 million
2027: $12.75 million
2028: $13 million
Tyler Biadasz for just a $4 million cap hit in 2026 is a steal by Chargers GM Joe Hortiz.
From a cap hit perspective, the most obvious thing that jumps out is the backloading of the deal. Combining Biadasz’s cap hit with Khalil Mack’s fully guaranteed $18 million, Los Angeles still has about $75.28M in salary cap space left. That gives them plenty of cap space to retain Odafe Oweh and Zion Johnson. It gives them the flexibility to pursue wide receiver or tight end targets if they’d like to. The Chargers also need to replenish the depth on their offensive line past just the starting group.
Bidiasz’s 2026 cap hit is also a signal that the Chargers will likely be aggressive this year as opposed to the next few offseasons in free agency. If there is a big trade or signing to be made externally, this is probably the best financial position they’ll have.
If the Chargers are able to get extensions done for Oweh or Johnson, one would think that their deals will follow a similar backloaded blueprint.
This also makes it less likely that the Chargers will have to dip into restructuring Justin Herbert in order to borrow money for their 2026 offseason. It’s still an option if the Chargers acquire more top of market players externally, but they’ll likely have more than enough net spending space to achieve the rest of their offseason.
Getting a cheaper deal on Biadasz also allowed the Chargers to fully guarantee Mack’s contract to incentivize him to return before free agency. There probably wouldn’t have been quite the same level of flexibility this early in free agency if they were waiting out the Linderbaum sweepstakes.
It’s smooth sailing for Hortiz so far in free agency with well over $70+ million left to spare despite adding Biadasz and retaining Mack.