Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh updated the media on the status of the team's left guard competition. The other four spots on the Chargers' offensive line aren't a mystery. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt will hold down the tackle spots. New free agent acquisitions Tyler Biadiasz and Cole Strange will handle center and right guard respectively.
Through the first two weeks of OTAs, it's primarily been Kayode Awosika and Jake Slaughter handling the teams' first string left guard reps. That wasn't what was initially expected coming in. Trevor Penning was surprisingly low on the teams' practice rotations early on in OTAs. Based on his previous guard experience and the Chargers' level of financial investment in extending him this offseason, he was thought to be at the top of the competition.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh gives a key update on the status of OL Trevor Penning
The Athletic's Daniel Popper said on his Substack stream said that Penning might be working his way back through an injury as an explanation for why he was lower in the O-Line rotations. Yesterday, Harbaugh confirmed that very suspicion. Los Angeles' head coach claimed that Penning was "working through something" during OTAs, but is now good to go for mandatory minicamp.
We'll have to track how this development affects the Chargers' offensive line rotations. Will Penning slowly climb his way back up to challenge both Awosika and Slaughter as originally expected? At the very least, this is a sign of progress for him in the right direction.
Penning initially played left guard for the Saints last season before he was acquired by Los Angeles in a midseason trade. With the Chargers, he started a game at left tackle and played some right guard in relief of Mekhi Becton. He's proven to be versatile in his career in terms of where he can line up positionally, which was at least part of his appeal in the team re-signing him.
Chargers OC Mike McDaniel shut down discussion on the left guard competition today at his media availability by deferring to when the pads come on. "It's well premature because we haven't blocked people," McDaniel said when he was asked about offensive line competitions. While Awosika has at least impressed so far to a degree, it doesn't seem like there's going to be any real separation in this competition until July.
The Chargers will have one more mandatory minicamp practice tomorrow before the offseason break until late July.
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