The Chargers’ edge rusher room is at an inflection point this offseason. Odafe Oweh looks to cash in on a tremendous 2025 campaign with a big contract. Meanwhile, Khalil Mack enters free agency with questions swirling about retirement or whether he’ll continue to play. If he does continue playing, will it be in Los Angeles?
Those two offseason decisions have taken some of the attention away from the season that Tuli Tupulotu just had. In 2025, the USC product put up a career highs in sacks (13) and pressures (75). He had one sack and five pressures against the Patriots in the Wild Card game. Contractually, there are decisions to be made. Tuipulotu enters the final year of his contract in 2026.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz made his stance on Tuli Tuipulotu clear.
At his media availability on Tuesday, Hortiz was asked about the concept of paying up to keep all three Chargers’ edge rushers: “Yeah, I have no problem having a bunch of great edge rushers,” Hortiz said.
Hortiz was then asked about potential contract extension talks with Tuipulotu as he enters the final year of his rookie deal: “No, we have not begun them with Tuli [Tuipulotu] yet. We got a little bit of time to kind of focus on free agency. But we want Tuli around for along time.”
Extension timelines for Chargers players on expiring contracts have generally taken place during training camp. Most recently, the Chargers agreed to a big extension with LT Rashawn Slater last offseason. Tuipulotu’s extension could be LA’s focus in a similar way this offseason. In addition to Tuipulotu, the Chargers might have to figure out what to do with Derwin James. The second-team All-Pro safety enters the final year of his deal in 2026 as well.
With Mack playing on a year to year basis for the rest of his career, it really makes sense for the Chargers to try to retain all three players. The Chargers still have one cheap year of Tuipulotu under contract for just a $6.1 million cap hit. They’d also likely lessen the first year cap hit of an Oweh extension. Given Hortiz’s comments on having a “bunch of great edge rushers”, it helps that there’s optionality for the Chargers to bring back all three financially speaking.
With Jesse Minter gone, the Chargers will want to retain as many key pieces from last year’s defense as possible. Locking up Tulipulotu on a long term extension is likely part of that equation.