Ugly Question Mark Remains for Justin Herbert Before 2026 Campaign

An ugly question hangs over the Los Angeles Chargers heading into the 2026 season and it’s not Justin Herbert’s lack of playoff success, though that topic isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

No, it’s the lack of quality right guard play, according to ESPN. In a recent column the Worldwide Leader looked at the biggest roster hole plaguing every team in the league and suggested the Chargers have a major need along the offensive line.

“The Chargers probably don’t believe this is a hole because they signed Cole Strange from the Dolphins and have Trevor Penning around as an all-purpose backup lineman,” ESPN wrote.

“However, Strange underwhelmed as a 2022 first-round pick in New England, and even in his best season last year, he ranked only 40th among guards in pass block win rate and 48th in run block win rate. Penning washed out in New Orleans and would also make a below-average starter.”

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During the 2025 season, Herbert took a career-high 54 sacks and the offensive line had the worst pass block win rate in the NFL at 53.9%. Granted both starting tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater missed most of the season, but the interior of the offensive line was a mess.

The addition of Strange could help and the Chargers attempted to address the issue with late-round selections of Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey in Round 6, but guard remains a point of weakness.

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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 9:15 AM.