The 2026 NFL League Year begins March 11.
This will be a crucial few months for the Bolts under Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz and Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers have gone 11-6 and made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons but are still looking for postseason success.
Here's where the Chargers currently stand in terms of free agents, salary cap space, draft picks and possible positions of need.
2026 Free Agents
The Chargers have 27 players eligible for free agency when the 2026 League Year officially begins at 1 p.m. (PT) on March 11.
Players can fall into one of three free agency groups: unrestricted free agent (UFA), restricted free agent (RFA) or exclusive rights free agent (ERFA).
Here's a breakdown of each group:
UFA: Any player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract; free to negotiate and sign with any team.
RFA: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them one of various qualifying offers ("tenders") that come with the right of first refusal and/or draft-pick compensation.
ERFA: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.
The Bolts 2026 free agent group is a mix of big-name players plus others who played key roles for the Chargers this past season.
The Chargers have 22 UFAs, two RFAs and three ERFAs. Here they are by group:
UFAs: Keenan Allen, Tyler Conklin, Da'Shawn Hand, Najee Harris, Josh Harris, Bobby Hart, Hassan Haskins, Andre James, Tony Jefferson, Zion Johnson, Trey Lance, Deane Leonard, Khalil Mack, Otito Ogbonnia, Odafe Oweh, Trevor Penning, Denzel Perryman, Del'Shawn Phillips, Trey Pipkins III, Jamaree Salyer, Benjamin St-Juste and Teair Tart
RFAs: Austin Deculus and Tucker Fisk
ERFAs: Jaret Patterson, Kimani Vidal and Kendall Williamson
Salary Cap Space
The 2026 NFL salary cap has not been set yet, but Over the Cap — a site that tracks each team's approximate cap space — has the cap projected to be at $295.5 million. The 2025 cap was at $279.2 million.
Based on that projection of $295.5M, this means the Chargers are currently projected to have around $80 million in cap space.
2026 Draft Picks
The Chargers hold the No. 22 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
The Bolts currently have five selections in the draft, including their own pick in each of the first four rounds. The Chargers also hold a sixth-round selection.
The Chargers don't have their 2026 fifth and seventh-round picks due to trades for Odafe Oweh and Elijah Molden, respectively.
Of note: compensatory picks won't officially be awarded until later this spring, so there's a chance the Chargers end up with more than their seven current picks.
The Bolts have picked at No. 22 overall five times in franchise history, most recently in 2024 when they tabbed running back Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina.
Positions of Need Based on Free Agency
The Chargers will certainly have some roster turnover this offseason, especially with the 27 free agents listed above.
With that in mind, here are a handful of position groups the Bolts might need to focus on in the coming months based on their current free agent list.
(Note: These positions are not ranked but instead listed in alphabetical order).
Defensive tackle
The Chargers have seemingly found a key piece in Jamaree Caldwell, a 2025 third-round pick who flashed throughout his rookie season. But the other top names in this group — Teair Tart, Da'Shawn Hand and Otito Ogbionnia — are all slated to be unrestricted free agents. Perhaps the Chargers can bring back some of those players, but adding more depth to this group could be a focus this offseason.
Edge rusher
The Bolts were led by the three-headed attack of Tuli Tuipulotu, Mack and Oweh in the second half of the 2026 season. But Mack and Oweh are both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this offseason, meaning the Chargers may have to add more reinforcements here. The 34-year-old Mack said after the season that he was going to take some time to ponder his football future while Odafe noted he hoped to be back after being acquired in an October trade from the Ravens. The Chargers still have Bud Dupree and Kyle Kennard under contract for next season.
Linebacker
Daiyan Henley has turned into a leader of this group and was a captain in 2025. And while Troy Dye and Junior Colson are under contract in 2026, Denzel Perryman and Del'Shawn Phillips will both be unrestricted free agents. Perryman brought valuable leadership and a physical play style to the defense last season while Phillips earned Second-Team All-Pro honors for his stellar play on special teams.
Offensive line
The Chargers offensive line should be boosted by the returns of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt in 2026. But there could be some turnover here given that seven of the Chargers scheduled free agents come from this position group. The headliner is Zion Johnson, who is slated to hit free agency for the first time in his career. Other 2026 free agents include Jamaree Salyer and Trey Pipkins III, the Chargers starting tackles in the final portion of the season. Bobby Hart, Austin Deculus and Trevor Penning are also free agents.
Running back
Hampton's rookie season was marred by some injuries, but the former North Carolina standout looks like he'll be a centerpiece of the offense for years to come. The rest of the running back room, however, is in question. Najee Harris missed most of the 2025 season with an Achilles injury and will be an unrestricted free agent. So, too, will Hassan Haskins. Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson are exclusive rights free agents. Keep an eye on this group this offseason.
