On a day when the LA Chargers made two different trades, the most surprising news ended up being a sudden retirement. After weeks of struggling, the Chargers announced that long snapper Rick Lovato is retiring.
Lovato was filling in at long snapper for former Pro Bowler Josh Harris, who suffered a freak chest injury during the preseason. This forced the Chargers to scramble and sign the former Eagles long snapper to replace Harris in 2025.
It's pretty rare for a long snapper to actually be noticed but Lovato made that happen. His bad snaps on field goals and punts became a storyline for the Bolts, so much so that fans were counting down the days until Harris could return.
With Lovato's sudden retirement, all signs are pointing to that day coming.
Josh Harris' return to the Chargers is imminent after sudden Rick Lovato retirement
The Chargers opened Harris' 21-day practice window last week and after Lovato's retirement, it's safe to assume he will suit up for the Bolts in Week 10. The timing wouldn't make sense any other way.
While the Chargers' special teams unit has struggled as a whole, the team was able to get by with subpar snaps from Lovato. Punter J.K. Scott did an excellent job of fielding wayward snaps both on punts and as the place-holder for Cameron Dicker field goals.
Heck, Scott saved the game in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins. Scott corralled an errant snap and got the ball down in time for Dicker to make the game-winning field goal. Lesser place-holders would have botched the hold, costing the team a win in the process.
Retirement is likely something Lovato was considering before the season. He spent nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and won a Super Bowl last year. The 33-year-old was likely on his way to retiring a champion until the Chargers called desperately needing long-snapper help. With Harris healthy, Lovato can now sail off into the sunset.
He may no longer be part of the team but Lovato will surely be rooting for the Chargers the rest of the way. After all, he will receive a Super Bowl ring if the Chargers can catch fire and win it all this season.