The LA Chargers have big decisions to make by Wednesday afternoon. Los Angeles needs to get under the 2024 salary cap by the start of the new league year on Wednesday, March 13 at 1:00 p.m. PDT. As it stands right now, according to Over The Cap, the Chargers are $25.9 million over the cap.
The Chargers need to essentially free up $26 million in cap space by Wednesday's deadline, but will eventually need to free up more cap space down the line. The team still needs to create at least another $20 million for the incoming draft class as well as an in-season budget, so just getting under that salary-cap number is not enough.
This situation has put four Chargers players — Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa — on the trade/chopping block. It has become a debate among Chargers fans what the team should do. Here are our predictions.
Chargers will extend Keenan Allen
The new Chargers front office knows how important Keenan Allen is to Justin Herbert, the offense and the fanbase. While Allen is getting up there in age and there is injury risk involved, it makes sense to keep him around and to extend him for two more years to offset some of his cap hit this season.
The Chargers can convert part of Allen's $18.1 million base salary in 2024 into bonuses that carry over to future year's cap sheets with an extension. As long as Allen's price is reasonable, the Chargers could comfortably add a $5-8 million cap hit on each of the two new years on top of his base salary.
Even though Allen is on the wrong side of 30, he was playing at an All-Pro level last season and has a lot in the gas tank. Sure, the last year of that extension might end up being a tad ugly with his age and cost, but that is a problem the team can address then. For now, they need to get under the books and make sure that Herbert has his favorite weapon.
Chargers will cut Mike Williams
Update: The Chargers have officially cut Mike Williams.
There has been reported interest in Mike Williams as the New England Patriots have checked in with the Chargers on each of these players. Williams by far makes the most sense for the Patriots of the four players, and it is not hard to talk yourself into a trade happening.
The Patriots are going to want to make their young quarterback's life easier and getting an impact X receiver would do just that. Williams is only a one-year commitment, so there is no long-term risk, and the Patriots have an extra pick for trading Mac Jones.
New England could trade the pick it got for Jones and flip it for Williams. While he might not be part of the next Super Bowl core, just adding him to the fold can ensure that the young quarterback New England drafts has some kind of Pro Bowl-level receiver that can aid in his development.
On paper, the Pats may want to do this deal because if not, Williams would be free to sign elsewhere and it would take a multi-year deal. While that could ultimately swing the Pats to make a trade, it still seems more likely that the Chargers will be forced to cut Williams.
It makes sense on paper but the Patriots are currently tangled up with Calvin Ridley as well, which certainly hamstrings the process. With there being no other reported suitors at this time, it seems unlikely that the Chargers can strike a deal.
Chargers trade Khalil Mack
Update: The Chargers have officially restructured Khalil Mack's contract and he will remain on the team in 2024.
A Mack trade is a bit more believable than a Mike Williams trade for multiple reasons. Mack is not coming off a torn ACL and is instead coming off a career season at 32 years old. Great pass rushers are a rare commodity in today's game and an edge-hungry team absolutely should be willing to shell out a day-three pick for Mack.
Sure, there is the risk of age-related regression and he does have a big salary-cap hit but he is still a productive player. If the Chargers had the room to keep Mack on the roster they would, the problem is that they can free up more money by parting ways with Mack than any other player.
Any team bringing in Mack would be on the hook for a cap hit of $23.25 million for one year. There are several teams that can currently shoulder that burden and also need an edge rusher. Teams like the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and even the Washington Commanders could all make sense.
The Chargers don't have to get this done by Wednesday afternoon, though, which only increases the chance of the team working out a trade. The Chargers can clear over $26 million by cutting Williams and extending Allen on Wednesday. That would give the team more time to let the edge rusher market develop and find a suitor for Mack.
If Mack is still on the roster on Thursday that does not mean he will be on the roster at the start of the 2024 season. The most likely outcome is still that he will be playing for another team, preferably joining that team via trade.
Chargers keep (and potentially restructure) Joey Bosa
Most Chargers fans want to see the team part ways with Joey Bosa versus Khalil Mack. While it is not hard to see why (last year's performance) there are several reasons why Bosa will ultimately be the one that the Chargers keep in town.
First off is the fact that the same reason why fans want Bosa gone is the same thing that hampers his trade market. Bosa's injuries in the last two seasons are going to be a red flag for other teams. Odds are that Mack, even for one season, can warrant a much better trade return than Bosa can.
Additionally, the Chargers save much less salary-cap space by getting rid of Bosa. Los Angeles would free up $23.25 million by cutting or trading Mack while the team would only free up $14.3 million by doing the same with Bosa.
The last two seasons might have been disappointing, but it still makes more sense to bet on the 29-year-old edge rusher who has played at an elite level before than it is to bet on the 33-year-old edge rusher. History says the 29-year-old will be better most times, even if the last two years haven't played out that way.
If the Chargers really want to create more cap space, they could restructure Bosa's deal to save over $10 million on the cap. This would make it harder to cut Bosa in 2025, but it is possible.