By Sean Gannon

Ok, two years ago, the Chargers were on this list for Just Sayings team to watch in 2020, and they are once again back. After coming so close to making the playoffs in 2021, the Chargers resigned critical players like Mike Williams to keep their offense still fully loaded for Justin Herbert. They then decided to make two huge moves on defense; trade for Khalil Mack and sign J.C Jackson in Free Agency. Mack has only missed the pro-bowl twice in his career. Once as a rookie and last year in 2021, in which he only played in seven games (still notched six sacks) and then missed the rest of the season due to a lingering foot injury that he had surgery on. Mack will be back to his usual self and 100% healthy this season, so do not sleep on the three-time All-Pro, especially when he has Joey Bosa on the other side of the ball wreaking Havoc on opposing offensive lines. Jackson finally made the pro-bowl last year, but it’s worth noting that since 2018 he leads the NFL in interceptions, with an astounding 25 turnovers. He is a true “ball-hawk” for the corner position.

Aside from these new additions during the offseason, LA’s roster has been one of the best in the NFL for some time. Guys like Derwin James Jr, Keenan Allen, Austin Eckler, and Rashawn Slater are pillars for this team and top-tier talent in their respective positions. The new additions only allow them to play looser. They can move James around knowing they have Asante Samuel Jr and J.C Jackson holding down the secondary. Selecting Zion Johnson in the first round of the 2022 draft was a brilliant move. He can fill in a guard position and provide pass protection and run blocking ability from the interior of the offensive line. But the Chargers didn’t stop there. They also went out and selected Texas A&M running back Isiah Spiller. Spiller might not have made the flash plays that Breece Hall or Kenneth Walker III made in college, but his ability to be patient, hit a hole, and put on the burners is something LA loved. Spiller provides them with a true running back two option and someone who can carry the load for Ekler to create a solid 1-2 running back combination. An approach the NFL has seen in recent years. The need for a true running back two option is more prevalent than ever. I’m not going to touch on Herbert. There is no need, we have seen what he has done over the last two years, and it has been excellent; he is the future of the team and the NFL.  

This is a great team, I have loved them for years, and I will say with confidence in this piece they will make the playoffs in 2022. They have a tough AFC West division, Kansas City is still looking solid, Denver finally has a quarterback, and the Raiders beat them last year and went out and got Davante Adams and Chandler Jones. So it won’t be easy. But the Chargers’ time is now. Enough of the “close but no tomatoes” seasons. They made all the right moves for free agency and the draft; this is the season where all of this roster-building finally pays off. It’s time for people to Bolt Up and gets on the Charger train in 2022!