5 Los Angeles Chargers cuts to create cap room for the 2024 offseason
By Simon Shortt
There's a lot of "new" happening for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. New head coach. New staff. New general manager. What isn't new is entering an offseason after a disappointing year.
The Chargers went 5-12 in 2023 and saw their head coach get fired midseason and the franchise quarterback miss the last four games due to injury.
New head coach Jim Harbaugh and General Manager Joe Horitz will have their work cut out for them this offseason to try and improve this expensive and aging roster. A job made even harder by the fact they are nearly $46 million over the estimated cap according to Over The Cap.
To try and get them back in the black, here are five cuts they can make to create cap space ahead of free agency.
5. Chargers can get rid of EDGE Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack was brought in ahead of the 2022 season to be the finishing piece on Brandon Staley's defense. While Mack produced 25 sacks and two Pro Bowls in that time, the defense overall severely underwhelmed.
In 2023 the Chargers defense ranked 24th in points, 28th in yards, and 26th in DVOA. In 2022 they were 21st, 20th, and 21st respectively.
The disappointing defense will be a theme in this article. And despite Mack's best efforts, he will more than likely not be a key in turning it around. The Chargers can save roughly $23 million on the cap in 2024 by releasing Mack before June 1st.
And while his 17 sacks in 2023 make him look like a tough cut on paper, that number was heavily buoyed by a six-sack performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.