The Chargers made two moves at the buzzer of the 2025 trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon
An initial move was adding offensive lineman Trevor Penning in a deal with the Saints. The Bolts acquired the former first-round pick in exchange for 2027 sixth-round draft pick.
The Chargers also traded cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor to Jets for 2028 conditional seventh round pick. The completion of each deal is pending a physical
Let's get into the moves, beginning with the Penning deal.
Credit Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz for helping add a reinforcement at a position where the Bolts have been hit hard by injuries.
With star offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater now both out for the season (Slater was injured in training camp), the Chargers needed a high-upside player to come in and help along the line.
Penning offers position flexibility as he spent the first two seasons of his career at left tackle before switching to right tackle in 2024.
The 26-year-old then moved to left guard for this season, meaning he could play almost anywhere along the line if the Chargers need him to.
Keep in mind, aside from Slater and Alt, others such as Mekhi Becton, Trey Pipkins III, Austin Deculus and Jamare Salyer have all been banged up this season.
While some have returned and some are on the mend, Penning should serve as a solid insurance policy at worst, while he also could be a starter in the best-case scenario.
Penning was a first-round pick by the Saints with the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
And while he had an up and down career in New Orleans, Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman and offensive line coach Mike Devlin seem like as good a group as any to help Penning elevate his game.
Yes, Penning is slated to be a free agent after the 2025 season, but the Bolts only gave up a late-round selection for a draft that is 18 months from now.
The Chargers currently only have five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Hortiz did a superb job of holding onto those while still adding to a position group that needed another body.
At 6-3, the Chargers are firmly in the AFC playoff picture as the second Wild Card team and are only one game back of the Broncos in the race for the AFC West.
Is the Alt injury a bummer? Of course.
But read what Harbaugh said Monday at his press conference about his team's mindset going forward.
"I think like anything in sports, it's adversity," Harbaugh said. "You just do the best you can and you get better. Never give up. Those three key elements.
"Maybe a lesser team, lesser man wouldn't find a way to do that, but that's what we do," Harbaugh added.
This team still has Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Oronde Gadsden on offense, with rookie Omarion Hampton set to likely return after the bye week.
Defensively, Khalil Mack, Derwin James, Jr. and Daiyan Henley aren't going to lay down because of a few injuries on the other side of the ball.
The Bolts have real playoff aspirations in 2025, and the addition of Penning shows they are ready to make a run and see what happens the rest of this season.
As for the Taylor trade, the 2022 sixth-round pick played in 57 games in his Chargers career but was scheduled to be a free agent after this season.
While Taylor was a valuable player on special teams, the emergence of youngsters Nikko Reed and Eric Rogers in training camp and the preseason — plus a healthy Deane Leonard — means Hortiz felt like the best option was to move Taylor for a future late-round asset.
Reed played 14 snaps against the Titans in Week 9 and was the Bolts flashiest players in camp. Rogers, who is currently on Injured Reserve, was a preseason star with multiple interceptions.
And with Leonard returning to practice last week, expect him to take over Taylor's role at gunner on punt coverage.
