While Los Angeles Chargers fans may have been hoping for a little more movement from the team when the tampering window for unrestricted free agents officially opened on Monday, it's not as if Joe Hortiz didn't make any moves, as the Bolts signed fullback Alec Ingold and also brought in one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL in Charlie Kolar.
And let's not forget, of course, that the Chargers replaced retired center Bradley Bozeman late last week by signing Tyler Biadasz to a three-year deal and also came to terms on a new one-year deal with Khalil Mack.
What caught more attention on Monday, however, was a move the Chargers didn't make, as edge rusher Odafe Oweh will not be returning to Los Angeles after signing a four-year, $100 million deal with the Washington Commanders.
The loss of Oweh hurts, of course, as the five-year veteran was an absolute menace in his short time with the Bolts. But $100 million is still a lot of money, even in today's NFL, and the reason the Chargers didn't pay up could easily be that they're saving that cash for Tuli Tuipulotu.
The Chargers likely didn't bring back Odafe Oweh to save money for Tuli Tuipulotu's looming contract extension
As mentioned, Oweh was extremely productive after the Chargers acquired him in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens last October.
After racking up 23.0 sacks in his first four seasons with Baltimore, the 2021 first-round pick failed to record one in five games with the Ravens to start the 2025 campaign. But in a dozen regular-season appearances for Los Angeles, he recorded 7.5 of them and then set a franchise playoff record with three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Bolts' wild-card loss to the New England Patriots.
So, it's easy to see why fans would want him to return. But again, $100 million is a lot of money and probably way too much for a player who's really only been a genuine difference maker in two of his five professional seasons.
Plus, as also mentioned, there's the looming matter of a contract extension for Tuipulotu, who's now eligible for an extension and would likely command a similar amount of money.
A second-round pick in 2023, the USC alum made an immediate impact in Los Angeles, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after racking 4.5 sacks in his professional campaign.
Tuipulotu upped his total to 8.5 in 2024 and tallied the sixth-most sacks in the entire NFL this past year with 13.5 en route to earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl, trailing only Myles Garrett (23.0), Brian Burns (16.5), Danielle Hunter (15.0), Aidan Hutchinson (14.5), and Nik Bonitto (14.0).
Hortiz has made no secret of his desire to keep Tuipulotu in Los Angeles for a long time, and opting not to overpay Oweh (as the Commanders did) will certainly go a long way toward making that a reality.