Tag: Chargers Salary Cap

How NFL’s $255.4M salary cap will impact Chargers

The Chargers, who are strapped for cash going into this offseason, got great news when the official NFL salary cap was released.

The Chargers, who are strapped for cash going into this offseason, got great news when the official NFL salary cap was released.

The 2024 cap is set at $255.4 million, an increase of $30.6 million from this past season ($224.8 million).

With the official number locked in, Los Angeles is $22.1 million over the salary cap.

The 2024 NFL New League Year begins at 1 p.m. PT on March 13. All NFL teams must be under the salary cap by then.

Los Angeles can get accomplish that by making moves, such as trading/cutting Joey Bosa ($14 million), Khalil Mack ($23 million), Mike Williams ($20 million), Keenan Allen ($23.1 million) and cutting Eric Kendricks ($6.5 million).

Additionally, they will get some relief if Corey Linsley retires after June 1st.

10 most-expensive Chargers against 2024 salary cap

A look at the most expensive players the Chargers have on the hook entering the 2024 calendar year.

The Chargers have a lot of work to do this offseason, and it all starts in free agency. However, it won’t be an easy task as Los Angeles will be about $40 million over the salary cap.

So it might take some contract restructuring and cutting if they wish to spend in free agency. With that, here are the 10 most expensive players the Bolts have going into the 2024 calendar year.

Chargers’ 15 largest cap hits in 2023

Here are the top 15 Chargers players with the largest cap hits in 2023.

Approaching the free agency season, the Chargers were one of many teams with contracts to restructure and players to cut in order to remain under the salary cap for 2023.

Tom Telesco moved forward with contract restructures for Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Mike Williams in order to lower their cap hits for the upcoming season and push those high price tags to the following year.

Here are the top 15 players with the largest cap hits in 2023:

CB J.C. Jackson: $17 million

Jackson, who was injured last season, returns to the Chargers’ active roster in 2023 and training camp. A highly anticipated addition to the defense last year, Jackson had a rough start playing after ankle surgery that was necessary for his production before tearing his patellar tendon only weeks into the season. Jackson’s return is something to be excited about – especially knowing that he is currently taking up 7.5% of the team’s overall cap space.

EDGE Khalil Mack: $16.63 million

Mack was a standout defensive player for the Chargers in 2023. It’s no shock that a star player of his caliber would carry with him a cap hit that takes the number 2 spot on this list. Khalil’s hit makes up 7.3% of the overall cap space and leaves the Chargers with a 2024 cap hit of $38.5 million, something to remember when watching his production this season.

EDGE Joey Bosa: $15.77 million

In the 2022 season, Bosa struggled with injuries and his return in the latter part of the season was full of question marks and penalties. Still, Bosa remains one of the most important elements of the Chargers’ defense. Bosa’s hit is the last one that takes up over 5% of the overall salary cap coming in at 6.9%. His hit in 2024 – much like Mack’s – is a staggeringly large number: $36.6 million. It is clear that Los Angeles will have some big decisions to make after this season.

WR Mike Williams: $13.5 million

One of Justin Herbert’s favorite targets, Williams continues to produce great numbers on offense every year. Struggling through injuries, Williams will be someone to watch in 2023. His cap hit in 2024 is rather large, as is Chargers’ No. 1 wide receiver, Keenan Allen’s which will make for an interesting off-season next spring.

C Corey Linsley: $13.1 million

A good center is everything, and Linsley is better than good. Upon signing in 2021, Linsley was made the highest-paid center in the league but has since been overtaken by other players at his position. Linsley is integral to the way the offense works and the production of Herbert, and when he was injured in the 2022 season his absence was clearly noticed.

WR Keenan Allen: $12.78 million

It is no doubt that Allen will continue to play and produce as WR1 on the Chargers this season. The chemistry and trust between him and Herbert are palpable and allow Los Angeles to create a dynamic scheme on offense. Telesco has already stated that Keenan Allen is a Charger for life, so his future contracts and restructures should take care of themselves.

DT Austin Johnson: $9.5 million

Moving back to defense, Johnson was a highlight of the 2022 season before his untimely injury that caused a crumbling of the Chargers’ defensive line. His presence on the defense was greatly missed and is sure to elevate the overall production of the line this coming season.

CB Michael Davis: $9.4 million

Davis stepped up in the CB1 role for the Chargers in 2022 and was incredibly productive, ending his season as one of the top players in his position. If Davis continues to produce the way he has and can solidify himself in the league as a top cornerback then it is likely that the Bolts could extend him past the 2023 season instead of letting him go into free agency in 2024.

S Derwin James: $9.1 million

It should be no surprise that James is on this list. James is one of the best safeties in the NFL and inspires the defensive players around him. He still has multiple years left on his contract but his cap hit more than doubles next season. With other players having to be extended or resigned, there could be a restructure on the horizon for James in 2024.

RB Austin Ekeler: $9.1 million

After many contract negotiations and the opportunity to seek a trade, Ekeler returns to the Chargers for one more year and touts a cap hit of $9.1 million, making up 3.9% of the over-cap space. It is unlikely at this point that Ekeler will return in 2024 on a long-term deal after many failed attempts at securing his ideal contract and words spoken to the media during that time period. Ekeler’s hit this season isn’t shocking as he is one of the top players in his position in the league.

DT Sebastian Joseph Day: $9 million

Joseph-Day brings life and energy to the defense as a player with natural leadership capabilities. Adding him to the line was helpful last season and will continue to be in 2023. His cap hit in 2024 is only $1 million more than his current hit, so it’s doubtful that he is going anywhere after this season – production depending.

QB Justin Herbert: $8.45 million

Herbert’s position on this list is by far the most surprising. Still playing on his rookie deal, the Chargers have been able to get some incredible years out of their QB1 without breaking the bank. It is obvious to the league, media, and fans that a long-term blockbuster deal is on the horizon for Herbert which will inevitably change his cap hit position for years to come. But for now, he sits at No. 12 while making a No. 1 impact.

TE Gerald Everett: $8.25 million

Everett is currently in the final year of his two-year deal with the Chargers and his future is up in the air. Herbert has had lots of success with tight ends in the past, so Everett’s continued production will be something to watch. As it stands, he sits at No. 13 on the cap hit list.

OT Rashawn Slater: $4.53 million

A contract extension is inevitable for Slater as he goes into his third NFL season. A Pro Bowl and All-Pro tackle, Slater was not only one of the top rookies in his position but also one of the top players at left tackle in the whole league. Suffering from a left bicep tear, Slater was out for the season but would have been able to play in the divisional playoff round had the Chargers made it through. Slater is a key player in the offense and integral to the way that the offensive line and Herbert play. His future cap hit will be much higher than this.

LB Kenneth Murray: $4.12 million

The future for Murray is unknown. After several years of questionable production, the Chargers opted not to take on his fifth-year option. We saw this same situation pan out with former Charger defensive lineman Jerry Tillery. Murray will be playing for his career this season, which is definitely something to watch out for.

Tom Telesco unperturbed by the Chargers’ cap situation heading into offseason

Tom Telesco didn’t seem to think the Chargers’ cap situation was an issue heading into the 2023 season.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco talked about the team’s future and his organization’s trajectory heading into the offseason.

With a total cap liability well over the league’s maximum, Los Angeles seems destined to make some hard moves over the next several months to get their spending back to where it needs to be before the new season starts.

Asked how the upcoming free agency frenzy might differ from previous years, Telesco wasn’t sure how the Chargers’ cap situation might affect his ability to make moves to improve Los Angeles’ roster.

“I don’t know about other offseasons. It may be different than last year’s offseason. Every year is a little bit different. This year will be a little bit different, not as much [salary cap] space to work with, which is fine. Every offseason is a little bit different. Certainly, this year will be different than last year’s.”

The Chargers are currently projected to be $19.4 million over the salary cap in 2023, the fifth-worst situation in the NFL. Therefore, after going all out in free agency a year ago, it’s unlikely that Telesco will swing for the fences.

Instead, he may have to make some tough decisions to free up some cap space to sign a rookie class and free agents, as well as extend eligible players like quarterback Justin Herbert.

10 biggest cap hits for the Chargers heading into 2023 offseason

Taking a look at the Chargers’ 10 biggest salary cap hits ahead of 2023.

The Chargers’ 2022 season is over. After finishing 10-7 in the regular season and losing in the Wild Card round to the Jaguars, their attention shifts to the offseason, where they will look to reconstruct the roster.

Los Angeles will have roughly $10 million over the cap for the 2023 season, the fifth-worst situation in the NFL. This number is before a potential contract extension for quarterback Justin Herbert.

Therefore, L.A. will likely need to cut or restructure the contracts of players on the team to make space for that and any additional free agents.

With that, let’s look at their top 10 cap hits for 2023 (numbers via Spotrac):

Chargers’ salary cap space situation entering free agency

Looking at how much the Chargers have in spendings heading into free agency.

The NFL’s legal tampering period opens up on Monday at 1 pm PT, with the new league year and free agency officially beginning on Wednesday.

Up to this point, the Chargers have been active, re-signing wide receiver Mike Williams and kicker Dustin Hopkins and trading for edge defender Khalil Mack.

After starting with the fourth-most salary cap space, Los Angeles has the 13th-most at $20.56 million, according to Over The Cap.

This accounts for Williams’ and Hopkins’ cap hit ($14 million) and $1.92 million, respectively, taking on Mack’s ($17.75 million).

The Bolts can free up some space if they decide to release some of their own, with tackle Bryan Bulaga being a cut-causality candidate. If they choose to let go of him, they will save $10.8 million.

Poll: Should Chargers extend WR Mike Williams?

Is the big-bodied wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers worth a contract extension?

The Chargers have a few big-name wide receivers set to hit the free agency market next year, and among the crop is wide receiver Mike Williams.

Williams, who’s set to be due $15.7 million in 2021 after having his fifth-year option picked up last year, will have the third-highest cap hit of any player on the roster.

Rather than waiting until next year to re-sign Williams, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes that Los Angeles should extend him before the new season begins.

Sobleski highlights that L.A. should take a long-term approach by making sure quarterback Justin Herbert has the talent around him to excel for the foreseeable future.

Would the Chargers be wise to extend Williams? At the moment, you can make the argument for both sides.

You can make the case that he is not worth extending because Williams has not played like a first rounder, failing to surpass 50 catches, has just seven touchdowns over the past two seasons and has dealt with a slew of injuries along the way.

On top of that, the Chargers have ascending talent in Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton, as well as a promising rookie in Josh Palmer. Not to mention, there’s plenty of wideouts in next year’s draft who could offer plenty of upside to fill that role.

On the other hand, Williams is well-liked as a person, is one of the hardest workers on the team, comes up in clutch situations and there is plenty of reason to believe that he could experience his best season to date, given the new system and how it favors the role that he will be playing.

With that being said, I want to know what you all think. Click and vote in the poll below.

Chargers’ salary cap update as training camp approaches

A look at the Los Angeles Chargers’ salary cap position heading into training camp.

The Chargers agreed to terms with a handful of players who should be big contributors. Most importantly, aside from Corey Linsley who became the highest-paid center, the team didn’t break the bank to acquire them.

With the exception of first-round pick offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and third-round selections wide receiver Josh Palmer and tight end Tre’ McKitty, L.A. has all of their rookies signed to deals.

With that being said, L.A. has $19,850,826 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap. That is good for the fifth-most in the NFL.

This number will drop after the Bolts ink the three first-year players mentioned to deals. A common curiosity is wondering if the Chargers will sign anymore players.

When looking back to previous years, the chances of general manager Tom Telesco doing so are slim. However, if the team does pull the trigger, they could benefit from additional depth at the safety, running back and defensive tackle positions.

Chargers’ salary cap update as training camp approaches

The Chargers made a flurry moves to improve the roster in hopes of making another playoff push for the 2020 season.

The Chargers made a slew of acquisitions through free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft in hopes of putting together a roster that’s capable of making a run for the division.

Los Angeles agreed to terms with a few notables, which include Chris Harris Jr., Linval Joseph, Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner. Most importantly, they didn’t break the bank to acquire them.

They all have six draft picks that have yet to sign their rookie deals.

With that being said, L.A. has $20,410,433 million in salary-cap space, per Over The Cap. That is good for the 11th-most in the NFL.

This number will drop quite a bit after the Chargers ink their rookies to deals. A common question is wondering if Los Angeles will sign anymore players. But it’s more likely that they use to agree to an extension with Hunter Henry or carry it over to the 2021 offseason.

L.A. has some high commitments after the 2020 season led by Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, Melvin Ingram and Mike Pouncey.