Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
We'll run a Mailbag each week during the regular season. Send in submissions for the Mailbag on Twitter @EricLSmith or by email at eric.smith@chargers.nfl.com.
Off we go...
Will Jamaree Salyer stay at starting LT? His performance looked the best outside of Alt's. (Donald via Twitter)
You already know what questions you're going to get. I'll start. When is Joe Hortiz going to the tree of good premier O-linemen and pick some? Because that's where fans seem to think they come from. (Arnie via Twitter).
Let's kick this off with two questions that surround the offensive line and the trade deadline.
We'll start with Donald's question first.
Salyer replaced Alt at left tackle Sunday and was solid over 38 snaps, posting an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 68.4 that included a pass-blocking grade of 82.4.
Salyer, as we know, can be a capable left tackle. We saw that in 2022 when he filled in there for Rashawn Slater.
But will Salyer start at left tackle going forward? Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that he wants to wait and see how this week unfolds before making that call.
"We'll see how the week of practice goes. It's just always a critical piece, how the week of practice is," Harbaugh said.
The view here is that Salyer or Austin Deculus are the options at left tackle with Trey Pipkins III likely to slot in at right tackle. Harbaugh also mentioned Foster Sarell as an option at tackle, but he might have to play right guard depending on the status of Mekhi Becton's knee for Week 10.
So yeah, a lot of moving parts here, and we haven't even factored in Trevor Penning yet, who was acquired Tuesday from the Saints for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Arnie's humor above was spot on. Going into the deadline, it was clear the Bolts needed to add a piece to their offensive line and they did.
Penning offers position flexibility at left guard and both tackle spots and also didn't cost a ton either. As I wrote yesterday, he's either going to be a strong insurance plan or slot in as a starter somewhere, both of which are a win-win for the Bolts.
But for the people that wanted a top-tier linemen? That's wishful thinking if you ask me.
There were 10 players were officially traded Tuesday. Guess how many offensive linemen were in that group?
One. It was Penning.
Teams rarely part with linemen, especially those who are established starters in the league. That tree of star linemen Arnie mentioned doesn't just shake players out at your feet.
To sum it up ... Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz made the best move he possibly could given the position he was trying to acquire, plus the fact the Bolts had a small amount of cap space to work with and only have five 2026 draft picks in their pocket.
The Chargers, by the way, still sit at 6-3 and are in the thick of the AFC playoff picture with eight games left.
If you needed a reminder, this is a Jim Harbaugh-led team that isn't going to pack it in after a few injuries.
The Chargers need to try and win these next two games against Pittsburgh and Jacksonville — both of which could be crucial for AFC seeding purposes — and then rest up over a Week 12 bye.
Rookie running back Omarion Hampton is expected to be back in late November, which could give the offense a major boost alongside Justin Herbert, a trio of stud wide receivers and rookie sensation Oronde Gadsden.
Don't count the Bolts out over the second half of the season. Not with Harbaugh and Herbert at the helm.
Who are you liking as Chargers MVP candidates at the halfway point of the season? (Ed via Twitter)
I'll start with an honorable mention, which is outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
Yes, that's even with the future Hall of Famer missing four games. Simply put, the Chargers are a different animal on defense when Mack is on the field.
And his elite leadership is unlike anything I've seen before.
A fun teaser: my colleague Omar Navarro has a great feature coming to Chargers.com on Thursday about Mack.
But my answer here is Herbert, who is playing like a borderline MVP despite the chaos in front of him along the line.
By the time Sunday's game ended, the Bolts only had two of their starters up front from the start of the season. And depth players such as Bobby Hart and Deculus were on the sideline with injuries.
Has Herbert been perfect this season? No.
Yet his 90.4 overall PFF grade ranks third among qualified quarterbacks. And his 74.1 PFF mark when under pressure trails only Dak Prescott.
The expectation here is that Herbert will keep up his strong play over the final eight games and will the Chargers to a playoff spot ... and maybe even a division title.
Do you think that Herbert can/will throw his most interceptions in a season (16) while having arguably his best season? He is averaging 1 a game. (Submission via Twitter).
Yes.
Because I attribute some — certainly not all — of those interceptions to a bit of bad luck.
Half of Herbert's eight interceptions this season have been tipped at the line of scrimmage and fallen into the arms of a defender. Another interception, against the Broncos, was deflected by a defensive back down the field and picked off.
Herbert and Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman have each recently said that sometimes these seasons happen. A year ago, Herbert also had some tipped passes that fluttered to turf instead of a defender catching it.
I do expect that interception rate to come down a bit in the second half of the year.
And yeah, to reiterate, Herbert can have his best season while also having a higher number of interceptions. Both things can be true.
Has the new kickoff rules hindered the special teams unit or is it the injuries & turnover of personnel affecting them more? (Laoise via Twitter).
No, the kickoff rules aren't a factor. The kickoff rules are the same as a year ago when the Bolts were more consistent in the kickoff return game.
Overall, the Chargers have just been too up and down in both coverage areas.
Injuries have played a part, too, as key special teamers such as Josh Harris and Deane Leonard haven't played yet this season. Hassan Haskins is also now on Injured Reserve.
With long snapper Rick Lovato retiring this week, that could mean Harris' return as soon as Sunday night. It can't be understated how much Harris means on special teams as a leader on the field and in meeting rooms.
Harbaugh said Monday that the Bolts "need to be better" on special teams and that "we'll be attacking it" this week in practice.
If the Chargers want to make a run at the playoffs, getting more consistent play in coverage on special teams would go a long way.
