Welp, that was an awful showing by the Los Angeles Chargers last week. There are too many issues, from the offensive line to the run defense, the receiver coverage. Below, I try to limit it to just four players who need to do better to give this team a chance.
*The entire Chargers offensive line could take up this list, but to save everyone’s sanity, I’ve only included two of them.
Chargers Who Need To Step Up After The Bye
1. Center Bradley Bozeman
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Although he still has one year left on his contract, Bradley Bozeman hasn’t exactly made the case to stay on the Chargers in 2026. Daniel Popper of The Athletic relayed recently that “…Bozeman has allowed the most pressures of any player at his position in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.” Luckily that number didn’t increase after the Jags game, but with 24 pressures, he’s already on pace to surpass his 2024 combined regular and postseason number (30).
There have been some bright spots in his play, like against the Dolphins in Week 6, where, in the third quarter, he had a good block outside the pocket to help tight end Will Dissly gain 14 yards. Quarterback Justin Herbert also mentioned how integral Bozeman was in helping the offensive line get ready to play the Chiefs in Week 1. And he’s committed very few offensive penalties, but still, the stats don’t lie, and they’re not pretty.
After the summer battle between him and left guard Zion Johnson for the starting center spot, it was clear that Bozeman wasn’t the best choice, but he made the most sense, given that he had more experience at the position. And it’s also clear that the revolving door of offensive linemen has not made his job easy.
Last year, when Chargers players like left tackle Rashawn Slater and offensive lineman Joe Alt were healthy and available, he still wasn’t living up to the security standard that comes with being a center, and certainly isn’t now.
He will need to be more reliable for the next several weeks. And maybe next season, the Chargers can easily absorb the dead money hit of a little over one million and save $3.1 million by cutting him, and invest in a new center, either in the draft or free agency.
2. Edge Rusher Bud Dupree
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Bud Dupree has shown up occasionally this season. He had his first sack of 2025 against the Steelers in Week 10. And a batted pass in the season opener against the Chiefs. He was a starter, though in several games when edge Khalil Mack was out with an elbow injury, and didn’t make a big splash.
Dupree is second for the Chargers in quarterback hurries (15), but has zero hits and again only one sack. Last year, he had multiple sacks by this time in the season. He also has fewer solo tackles (seven) according to ESPN than linebacker Denzel Perryman, who has only played half the defensive snaps that Dupree has, as Perryman was out for a few weeks with an injury.
He needs to show up more all around. The Chargers are only going to get more scrambling quarterbacks in the second half of the season between the Eagles and the Chiefs. So it’s time to button things up.
3. Left Guard Zion Johnson
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Zion Johnson has been struggling. He’s currently at 20 allowed quarterback pressures and is on pace to tie or exceed his number of allowed quarterback pressures for the regular seasons of 2023 and 2024 of 33 (and he had even more in 2024 in the Wild Card game).
He’s currently down across the board for his PFF grades for run blocking and pass blocking from 2024. And he ranks 52nd amongst the 80 guards ranked on PFF in pass blocking. Now, 2024 was a very different circumstance with both Slater and Alt in the mix, and he didn’t do too poorly in the past game, but 20 pressures is not great, considering Alt allowed 24 pressures during the entire combined regular and postseason 2024 season.
As Popper noted, Johnson has “ inconsistencies in identifying stunts and blitzes,” and with a rotating cast of characters next to him, his inadequacies are even more pronounced.
Perhaps offensive lineman Trevor Penning will be better prepared after the bye if he’s placed at left tackle again, and Johnson and he will form a more sturdy wall, but if not, it’s going to be a long rest of the season.
4. Linebacker Denzel Perryman
Denzel Perryman is working his way back into the fold. He’s been making his presence known these past few weeks with some aggressive tackling, but he’s also missed quite a bit of time at the start of the season with an ankle injury. And that’s not unusual for him.
Last year, he missed several games, and whenever he actually got on the field, it seemed like he went out with another injury. He’s a key piece in the Chargers’ run defense, and given how their defense performed against the Jaguars before the bye, they will need him.
He only has this year left on his contract, and if he wants to earn an extension, he will need to help this team become a contender. His stats need to continue trending upward, and he needs to stay on the field.