Corey Linsley played just three games for the LA Chargers in 2023 after he was sidelined with a non-emergent heart issue. Those three games would be the last that Linsley would play in Los Angeles, as the former All-Pro center has officially been released, the team announced on Wednesday.
Linsley being released was expected as this is just a formality. Earlier this offseason, Linsley restructured his deal with the Chargers to allow the team to smooth out his dead cap hit across two seasons.
By waiting until after June 1, the Chargers saved an additional $1.2 million in cap space rather than having to use more cap space to release him. The Chargers essentially created an additional $2.6 million in cap space by doing this rather than just outright releasing him before June 1.
Corey Linsley set to retire after being released by the Chargers
Linsley told reporters earlier this offseason that there was a "99% chance" that he was going to have to retire after the non-emergent heart issue. The Chargers releasing Linsley confirms what many fans already knew was going to happen. Team president John Spanos confirmed that Linsley has "taken his last snap in the NFL".
The former Green Bay Packers center signed a record-setting five-year contract with the Chargers in the 2021 offseason. Linsley picked up right where he left off in his first season with the Chargers, earning a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro spot. As the anchor in front of Justin Herbert, Linsley was a key component in giving the Chargers the team's best offensive line of the last 15 years.
Linsley dealt with lingering injuries during his second year with the team but still played 14 games. His absence was beyond felt in the three games that he did not suit up for the Chargers. In 2023, the Chargers really struggled to replace his impact at center after Week 3.
Linsley served in a pseudo-coaching role while he was on the injured reserve last season and there has been no word of whether or not the All-Pro center is going to stay with the organization in any capacity. If Linsley and his family are up for it, he would make a fantastic offensive line coach. Any team, including the Chargers, would be lucky to have him.