54 sacks, and a line rebuilt on the fly
Fifty-four. That is how many times Justin Herbert hit the turf in 2025, a career high nobody in Inglewood wants to see repeated. The Chargers open at home against Arizona on Sunday.
Los Angeles saw the problem coming. Center Tyler Biadasz, a Pro Bowler back in 2022, signed a three-year deal in free agency and then lost the whole season to a knee injury in training camp. The line had to be reshuffled in a hurry. Rookie Jake Slaughter takes over at center, with newcomer Kayode Awosika at left guard.
Herbert still put up decent numbers: 66.4% completions, 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns, 13 interceptions. The Chargers went 11-6 and lost in the wild-card round to New England. The standard inside the building remains his 2021 season, when he threw for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns.
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The biggest signing of the summer does not play
Mike McDaniel spent four seasons as Miami’s head coach. He is now the Chargers’ offensive coordinator, replacing Greg Roman on a unit that managed 21.6 points and 212.2 passing yards a game.
He is not making promises. “We’re going to come out in Week 1, there’ll be four quarters, and then we’ll go and look at the tape,” he told the Orange County Register. “My expectation isn’t based on the result, it’s on our ability to grow from that film and apply it to the next opponent.”
The defense needs far less attention. Fifth in the league at 285.2 yards allowed per game, tied for third with 19 interceptions, four each from Tony Jefferson and Donte Jackson.
Arizona won two of their three games with Kyler Murray
The visitors are in a different place entirely. Arizona finished 3-14 and moved on from Murray, who managed only five games before injury. Here is the awkward part: he was on the field for two of the franchise’s three wins, and his three losses as a starter were all one-score games, including 16-15 to San Francisco and 23-20 to Seattle.
James Conner going down in Week 3 broke the season. Without their running back, the Cardinals went 1-13, including nine straight defeats with Jacoby Brissett under center. Conner stays on injured reserve for at least four more weeks.
Mike LaFleur takes his first head coaching job with one line on the CV that carries weight: his offensive game plan as Rams coordinator helped Matthew Stafford to MVP honors. Brissett starts ahead of Gardner Minshew II while third-round pick Carson Beck learns. Tyler Allgeier carries the load in the backfield, with Jeremiyah Love in the mix despite an ankle problem. Marvin Harrison Jr needs a reset year after 41 catches for 608 yards and four scores in 12 games.
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