Chargers general manager Tom Telesco has done an excellent job of bringing in talent on a bargain. For a team that hasn’t had the most cap space to spend on free agents in the past, he has managed to get it done.
But there are some players on the roster that might be getting quite a bit more than they actually deserve. Whether that’s due to poor play or struggling to stay on the field due to injuries, teams will most likely have one or two.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon recently named the worst contracts on each team heading into the 2020 offseason. For the Chargers, Gagnon believes that is offensive tackle Russell Okung.
The Los Angeles Chargers can easily get out of this contract, as only $2.5 million of Okung’s $15.5 million walk-year salary-cap hit is guaranteed.
But that would just leave them with a hole at one of the most important positions on the field, and the potential alternative problem is that’s a hell of a lot of money for a guy who missed much of 2019 because of a pulmonary embolism that resulted from blood clots in his lungs and then later missed more time because of a groin injury.
The Bolts can gain wiggle room by extending Okung’s contract, but even that’s risky considering his age (32) and injury history. It’s just not an optimal situation.
It wasn’t the season that Okung was hoping for in 2019. The veteran tackle had been sidelined to start the season due to a pulmonary embolism that was discovered in June. That was followed up with the groin issue a few games into his season debut. Okung only played six games.
Since being signed in 2017, Okung has been a difference-maker for the Chargers. He has been a key contributor to keeping pressure from quarterback Philip Rivers’ blindside, but the health complications from this past season have really drawn some pause in regards to his future.
Even though he has one more year left on his contract – if the Chargers felt like he wouldn’t be able to stay healthy – they could move on from him and save $13.5 million. But releasing him does come with a risk. When he’s on the field, Okung is stout and capable and proven left tackles don’t grow on trees.