Since being selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Zion Johnson has been a polarizing figure among fans. While the team recently declined to pick up his fifth-year option, head coach Jim Harbaugh made it clear Johnson’s future with the team is far from written.
Despite uncertainty around Johnson’s long-term outlook, Harbaugh sees him as a key piece in the ongoing reshuffling of the offensive line — particularly given his versatility to play multiple positions along the interior.
Zion Johnson Still in Mix for Starting Role as Los Angeles Chargers Reshape Offensive Line
“The versatility to be able to play guard or center, he’s going to be starting at one of those two positions,” Harbaugh said, via Omar Navarro of the Chargers’ official website. “It just adds versatility to have him be a center as well. We’ll get our best five eventually, but I know he’s going to be one of them.”
Harbaugh even compared Johnson’s athletic profile to that of fellow linemen Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, indicating Johnson remains very much in the mix at either center or guard.
Currently, Johnson is expected to compete for the left guard spot next to Slater, while recent free-agent signing Mekhi Becton likely takes the opposite guard position. Trey Pipkins is also vying for a spot somewhere along the line, adding further intrigue to the competition.
The center position is no less crowded. The Chargers re-signed Bradley Bozeman and added Andre James in free agency, setting up a deep battle for the job of snapping the ball to quarterback Justin Herbert.
While Harbaugh’s vote of confidence may sound like standard offseason optimism, it’s clear Johnson is still part of the Chargers’ short-term plans — for now. Whether that holds as training camp and preseason battles heat up remains to be seen.
In early May, though, the message from the head coach is simple: Zion Johnson isn’t out of the picture yet.
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