Free agency around the league has calmed down as teams ease into the second wave of signings. Between now and the NFL Draft, the LA Chargers will likely look to fill in a few of their roster holes.
Given GM Joe Hortiz’s focus on the comp pick formula, one can also expect some signings after the draft. On Mo,nday April 27th, free agents that sign with teams will no longer count against the comp formula. For example, that could be for when someone like Keenan Allen signs, as he did last summer.
When the time comes for more signings, the Chargers will have resources. Per OverTheCap’s latest calculations, Los Angeles still is in a good spot. The Chargers currently rank third in the NFL in cap space behind only the Titans and Commanders. $50.89M is what the Chargers currently have left to spend in 2026.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz is probably not done yet in free agency.
That figure of $50.89M isn’t quite accurate as the cap hits for S Tony Jefferson, QB Trey Lance, and LS Josh Harris need to be uploaded into OTC. Still, the Chargers should have well over $40+ million when those 2026 cap hits are revealed.
That figure can be slightly deceiving as the Chargers have to put aside some portion of the cap for thir draft class and in-season spending. But even considering those factors, the Chargers will still be near the top of the league in financial flexibility.
That cap space is more likely to be used on a series of smaller signings between now and the regular season as opposed to a big trade. But if the Chargers wanted to acquire a larger salary like an A.J. Brown, it’s worth noting that they could.
The Chargers have been active on the trade market for smaller salaries in recent years. In 2024, they acquired Elijah Molden before the season started. Last year, they traded draft picks for EDGE Odafe Oweh, OL Trevor Penning, and OT Austin Deculus.
There is reasonable frustration from the fanbase in not seeing the Chargers make more substantial moves in free agency along the offensive line. Their treatment of the guard spot this offseason has been hard to understand, considering the financial resources they came into free agency with.
However, Hortiz still has the resources to make more moves with these updated counts. Considering the Chargers only have five draft picks as of now, there’s definitely still some work left to do on the free agent market.