The start of NFL free agency is now less than a month away, and the Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of decisions to make, as they have nearly 30 players set to hit the market in one way or another, a list that includes Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh, Da'Shawn Hand, and Denzel Perryman on the defensive side of the football and running back Najee Harris, backup quarterback Trey Lance, tight ends Tucker Fisk and Tyler Conklin, and legendary wideout Keenan Allen on offense.
Also on the list are a number of offensive linemen, with Trey Pipkins III, Bobby Hart, Jamaree Salyer, and Trevor Penning all set to become unrestricted free agents, and Austin Deculus on the short list of restricted free agents.
And there could be a couple of more added, as both center Bradley Bozeman and right guard Mekhi Becton seem like prime cut candidates, as neither seems to be a good fit for Mike McDaniel's offense. And while the Chargers are already projected to have an ample amount of salary cap space to work with, roughly $83.5 million, releasing Bozeman and Becton would create an additional $15.575 million.
And then, of course, there's the matter of left guard Zion Johnson, whom the Bolts selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 17th overall selection. To his credit, the Boston College alum has been extremely reliable, missing just two games in his four seasons. But he's never lived up to his draft status and may have played his final snap in Los Angeles.
Zion Johnson's inconsistency could lead the Chargers to let him walk into free agency
It's no secret that the Chargers had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL this past season, issues that began when two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee during training camp and only got worse when Joe Alt was lost midway through the year to an ankle issue that had already cost him several games.
Now, one could certainly argue that Johnson was the Bolts' best offensive lineman throughout the 2025 campaign, but that's honestly not saying much. Playing this past season on the final year of his rookie contract after the Chargers chose not to exercise his fifth-year option, the Maryland native had some solid games here and there, but his 57.0 overall PFF grade during the regular season ranked just 53rd among 81 qualifying guards.
Breaking things down by category, his 60.6 pass-blocking grade ranked 49th, but his 53.4 run-blocking mark ranked just 64th. PFF grades don't mean everything, of course, but when it comes to offensive linemen, they're a little more telling than they are for other positions.
We won't post every grade he's ever received, but we can quickly tell you that Johnson has never ranked in the top 30 at his position from an overall standpoint, and the only time he's ranked higher than that in a single category was as a rookie when his 69.5 run-blocking mark ranked 14th.
It's not that Zion has ever been genuinely bad at his job. It's just that he's always been a middle-of-the-road kind of a guy, and maybe it's just time for the Chargers to move on. Spotrac projects Johnson to receive a three-year deal worth $33,783,456 in free agency, and while Los Angeles, as mentioned, will have money to spend, that figure seems a little too high.
Jim Harbaugh seems to like Johnson's work ethic and toughness, but let's not forget that he also experimented with him and Bozeman swapping positions last summer, which isn't the biggest confidence booster in the world.
The Chargers are expected to have both Slater and Alt back healthy for training camp, but don't be surprised if those two are bookending an all-new interior.