The Los Angeles Chargers will soon need to face reality. With the money that will need to be spent on the interior of their offensive line, there's no guarantee they will be able to bring back breakout edge rusher Odafe Oweh for 2026.
Of course, bringing him back even on a hefty deal would be the ideal scenario. After his mid-season trade to the Chargers, Oweh amassed 7.5 sacks, 28 combined tackles, and 13 QB hits through 12 games. He made an even greater impact in their lone playoff matchup, earning three sacks in Los Angeles's loss to the New England Patriots.
He turned out to be the perfect complement to Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack.
Yet his breakout also leaves the team with a dangerous needle to thread. He's projected to earn a contract in the range of four years and $77 million this offseason. If a team in greater need of an edge rusher than the Chargers decides he's worth any more, he could quickly exit their price range.
Jesse Minter's recent Oweh comments highlight just how disastrously this can turn out for Los Angeles.
Oweh could be poached by the Ravens, but there's an even greater risk at play here
Minter, who was the Chargers' defensive coordinator for two seasons before recently earning a head coaching job in Baltimore, had this to say about Oweh in the introductory press conference for his two coordinators the other day:
" I think we just created an environment for him where he played with a lot of confidence. We simplified some things that we were asking him to do. We allowed him, at times, to have a little more freedom as a pass rusher... So, he's earned the right to be a free agent, so he'll have every opportunity to look at it all and do all that."Jesse Minter
Given the limited success that Oweh found last season when he was still with the Ravens, it's not a controversial statement to say that Minter was the one that ultimately unlocked him. This presents a pair of dangerous realities for Los Angeles.
Firstly, Baltimore could be looking to poach Oweh in free agency. They're desperately in need of a pass rusher, having finished with just 30 sacks on the season. If Tyler Linderbaum and Dre'Mont Jones are ultimately let go in free agency, Oweh could be a prime target for them.
Secondly, Minter made clear exactly why Oweh was so impactful in a Chargers uniform. Minter's defensive scheme allowed him to play more freely, opening up ample opportunities for him to be disruptive in the backfield.
With a new defensive coordinator in Chris O'Leary, there's no guarantee Los Angeles would be able to replicate that performance in 2026.
Perhaps Oweh wants to continue playing with the coach who orchestrated his breakout. Or, if he chooses to remain with the Chargers, there remains a chance that his impact is limited by a new scheme.
Either way, it would be absolutely disastrous for Los Angeles.