What we learned from Chargers GM Joe Hortiz’s combine news conference

Joe Hortiz will have some work to do building the Chargers' interior offensive line. Kirby Lee / Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz answered questions Tuesday morning at the NFL combine. It was Hortiz’s first news conference since Jan. 15, when he and coach Jim Harbaugh put a bow on the 2025 season, four days after the Chargers lost to the New England Patriots in the first round of the postseason.

Hortiz and Harbaugh are still looking for their first playoff win two seasons into their tenures with the Chargers. They have work to do this offseason to retool the roster, particularly along the offensive line. Much of Hortiz’s news conference Tuesday centered on those offseason plans, including the outlook for pending internal free agents and how the Chargers expect to fill a vacancy at center.

This is everything we learned from Hortiz’s 20 minutes at the podium.

1. Bradley Bozeman announced his retirement Monday in a post on Instagram. Bozeman had been the Chargers’ starting center for the past two seasons.

Heading into the offseason, the Chargers were already in need of an upgrade at this position. Bozeman was not going to be a fit in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s scheme. Bozeman also struggled in pass protection over the past two seasons. With Bozeman retiring, the Chargers will initially save close to $6 million in space, according to Over the Cap. More importantly, they do not have a viable starting center on the roster. That is the top priority as the Chargers prepare for free agency.

Hortiz congratulated Bozeman on his retirement. “Tremendous amount of respect for him and appreciation for him and love for him and his family,” he said.

Hortiz was asked about the plan at center moving forward.

“We’ve been discussing that and got a new offensive staff, which leads to some scheme changes,” Hortiz said. “So, we’ve been meeting. We’ll get together again after the combine, and we’ll have a plan to attack once the open season opens.”

When asked if he expects to fill the starting center spot in free agency, Hortiz said, “We will try.”

The top potential name on the market is Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who Hortiz had a hand in drafting when he was in the Ravens’ personnel department. However, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday that Baltimore has offered Linderbaum a “market-setting” extension. Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey is the highest-paid center in the league at $18 million in average per year, according to Over the Cap. A market-setting extension would exceed $18 million in APY, and it could approach $20 million.

Hortiz was asked directly about his interest in Linderbaum.

“I’m not going to talk about any players under contract with other teams,” he said. “I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to speak in hypotheticals. Nice try.”

If Linderbaum re-signs with the Ravens, the Chargers will have to pivot to other free-agent options. Three other pending free agents who could be of interest: the Buffalo Bills’ Connor McGovern, the Carolina Panthers’ Cade Mays and the New Orleans Saints’ Luke Fortner.

The highest-ranked center on Dane Brugler’s NFL Draft big board is Florida’s Jake Slaughter at No. 86. Brugler only has two centers in his top 100. Given the circumstances, it seems that the Chargers will have to make an aggressive push to find their starting center in free agency.

2. The Chargers also have question marks elsewhere on the interior of their offensive line. Left guard Zion Johnson is a pending free agent. He is the No. 2-ranked guard in my top 150 free agents. Right guard Mekhi Becton, meanwhile, is a cut candidate. The Chargers can save close to $10 million if they move on from Becton, according to Over the Cap.

When asked if he expects Becton to be on the roster in 2026, Hortiz said, “Those are things that we’ll discuss. We get back Sunday. All the coaches and staff, we’ll meet Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and we’ll finalize all those plans then.”

Hortiz was then asked if Becton is guaranteed to be on the roster this coming season.

“I’m not going to talk about that right now,” Hortiz said.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Becton signed a two-year deal last offseason. He battled numerous injuries and played less than 60 percent of the Chargers’ offensive snaps. When he was on the field, Becton performed poorly.

Johnson, meanwhile, is positioned for a payday. Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers signed left guard Aaron Banks to a contract averaging $19.25 million per year. Johnson is a better player than Banks. So it’s possible that Johnson could get offers approaching $20 million per year. Is that worth it for the Chargers?

Hortiz said the Chargers establish a valuation “range” for every pending free agent. That includes Johnson.

“Is it a hard ceiling?” Hortiz said. “No, I don’t think you ever place a hard ceiling on any player, but you have to pay what you think a player is worth or somewhere near there. So yeah, we’ll see what happens with Zion, where the market goes, if he gets to the market. But we’ll stay engaged with him through the process.”

When asked if he feels as though recent guard contracts, like Banks’ deal, would significantly impact Johnson this offseason, Hortiz said, “We’ll see. We’ll meet with his agent this week, and we’ve talked to him already, and we’ll continue to dialogue.”

If Johnson signs elsewhere and the Chargers move on from Becton, then the team would be looking for three new starters on the interior. It is possible to complete this type of overhaul in one offseason. The Chicago Bears found three new starters last offseason, trading for left guard Joe Thuney, trading for right guard Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman. This type of makeover can be done, but it is not an easy task.

3. The Chargers have two other key players set to hit free agency, and they play the same position: edge rushers Khalil Mack and Odafe Oweh.

Hortiz was very clear about his hopes for Mack and Oweh.

“They know we want them back,” Hortiz said. “When players go into free agency, once the season ends, it takes a little bit of time, but we’ll keep chipping away at it, and we’ll see if we can get something done with them.”

The Chargers currently have the third-most cap space in the league, according to Over the Cap. They have the room to pay market rate for their internal free agents, including Johnson, Mack and Oweh.

The other wrinkle in this situation is Tuli Tuipulotu, who is now eligible for an extension after completing his third season. Tuipulotu led the Chargers with 13 sacks last season.

Hortiz said the Chargers have not yet engaged in extension talks with Tuipulotu or his camp. But if they re-sign Mack and Oweh and extend Tuipulotu, they would have three expensive veteran contracts committed to one position group. Hortiz said after the season that he is comfortable executing this investment, and his position has not changed.

“I have no problem having a bunch of great edge rushers,” Hortiz said Tuesday.

4. It has been about a month since the Chargers introduced McDaniel as the team’s new offensive coordinator. When asked Tuesday about McDaniel, Hortiz said, “Great person, great soul, great ideas, great energy.”

McDaniel will bring a different scheme to Los Angeles. In the run game, the Chargers are expected to implement more outside zone blocking concepts, a staple of the Shanahan-tree systems that McDaniel came up in during his coaching career.

This shift will affect how the Chargers approach their offensive personnel. Hortiz said the biggest change will come to the offensive line. The Chargers will be looking for more athletic linemen with lateral movement ability. Bozeman did not have that skill set. Becton, too, is a better fit in a more downhill running scheme. Johnson is an excellent athlete and versatile as a run blocker.

“Just more range,” Hortiz said of what the Chargers will be looking for in the offensive linemen they pursue. “Guys that can get to the cut-off blocks and reach and get out in space.”

Something to keep in mind as the Chargers look to rebuild their interior through free agency and the draft.

5. The Chargers have until May 1 to exercise receiver Quentin Johnston’s fifth-year option for 2027. According to Over the Cap, that option is projected at $18.003 million. Johnston, a 2022 first-round pick from the previous regime, is under contract for 2026 on the fourth year of his rookie deal.

Johnston has a palatable cap hit of slightly more than $4.5 million for 2026. That fifth-year option number seems pretty rich for Johnston, considering his performance so far in his career.

6. Hortiz said the Chargers remain open to re-signing veteran receiver Keenan Allen. The Chargers signed Allen in August after Mike Williams retired on the eve of training camp. Allen caught 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.

“I love Keenan,” Hortiz said. “Look what he did for us last year.”

I am not convinced this makes sense for the Chargers’ roster construction. Allen’s presence impacted Ladd McConkey’s development. McConkey is a great short-area route runner, particularly on option routes. Allen also thrives in those areas. Allen took some of those routes away from McConkey in 2025. McConkey instead ran more routes in the intermediate and deep areas of the field. McConkey’s production dipped after a standout rookie season, and Allen was a part of that.

McConkey has a chance to be a true focal point in McDaniel’s scheme. It will be hard to get the absolute most out of McConkey, an ascending player, with Allen on the roster.

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms

Find the hidden link between sports terms

Daniel Popper is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Jacksonville Jaguars for The Athletic after following the New York Jets for the New York Daily News, where he spent three years writing, reporting and podcasting about local pro sports. Follow Daniel on Twitter @danielrpopper