Twelve great games with the LA Chargers, and a playoff game that included three sacks, made Odafe Oweh a true fan favorite in Los Angeles. It also put him on the map as one of the premier edge rushers in this year's free-agent class.
Oweh certainly got paid like a premier free agent. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Oweh agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Commanders on Monday. At the time of the report, Oweh's deal is the 11th largest in total value for an edge rusher in the NFL.
Oweh's departure is a painful reality for a lot of Chargers fans who were hopeful the team would re-sign him with ample cap space this offseason. While the team certainly had the cap space to bring Oweh back if they pleased, in the long run, letting him walk was the smartest move for the organization.
Odafe Oweh at $100 million is a huge risk for any team, including the Chargers
Oweh was exceptional during his time with the Chargers; there's no doubt about that. He brought real juice to the Chargers' defense and gave the team one of the best edge-rushing trios in the entire sport alongside Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu.
But it's important to call out Oweh's production for what it was: a stretch of great games. Yes, Oweh was great in his 12 games and in his lone playoff appearance, but it was also much different than the other four years of his career.
The 2021 first-round pick got off to a slow start in Baltimore and wasn't a massive difference-maker in his first three seasons. Oweh still got to the quarterback, but he was much more of a complementary edge rusher than the sole focus of a defense. He certainly wasn't a $100 million edge rusher.
Oweh's numbers jumped in 2024 as his first-round potential started to shine. Then he started the 2025 season off slow with the Baltimore Ravens with no sacks in five games. It wasn't until he got to Los Angeles that he really turned it around.
Yes, players can get better with time and Oweh's timeline does fit the model of a first-round pick coming into his own in the NFL. And while that can be an indicator of future success, there simply isn't enough of a track record there to fully trust it. If the Chargers are going to spend $100 million on a player, they need to be 100% sure that it will be money well spent.
There's also the Jesse Minter effect. The former Chargers defensive coordinator has literally made everyone he has coached better in the NFL. Cast-off players came to the Chargers and found new success. Players who left the Bolts after one year with Minter primarily struggled. There was absolutely no guarantee Oweh would succeed at the same level without Minter in LA.
It may seem like a massive blow now, but if Oweh was never traded to the Chargers, he would've signed a contract a third of what he ultimately got and GM Joe Hortiz recognizes that. The Chargers still have Mack and Tuipulotu in the edge rusher room and have the means to add another edge rusher to replace Oweh.
After all, the Chargers added Oweh for just a fifth-round pick at the trade deadline. We shouldn't doubt their ability to replace him for less than $100 million.