4 Chargers we can safely call busts after the 2023 season

Eric Kendricks

Let's take a massive left turn here and go from talking about draft busts to talking about free-agency busts. Don't worry, Telesco didn't put all of his bust eggs into one basket, as he had plenty of bad signings as well during his time with the Chargers.

One of the most frustrating came last offseason when the Chargers decided to pay Eric Kendricks twice as much as the younger linebacker who just had a breakout season for the team. Drue Tranquill got a one-year, $3 million contract while Kendricks signed a $13.25 million contract.

It was the same song and dance that Chargers fans have seen before: the team prioritizes a veteran who is past his prime over a young player who actually developed. Said veteran predictable regresses and his inflated contract figure becomes a team-building hurdle that the front offce has to overcome.

Kendricks wasn't even that bad last season. He definitely was not good but there have been worse examples of this phenomenon in recent years. But when the team let both Tranquill and Kyzir White walk for less than half (combined) what Kendricks signed for, it is hard not to be outraged.

Kendricks was a bust of a signing and now it is more likely that the Chargers, who are $45.8 million over the salary cap, will cut him. If the team cuts him before June 1 it will save $6.5 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.