LOS ANGELES — Sharing a stadium with the defending Super Bowl champions in a market that has been home for five seasons would have a profound effect on any NFL team. If the Los Angeles Chargers aren’t coming out and saying that directly with words, they undoubtedly are with their actions.
By the time the NFL’s early negotiating window opened, the Chargers had already re-signed receiver Mike Williams to a deal paying him about $20 million annually and traded for edge rusher Khalil Mack. They were just getting warmed up.
On Monday, the Chargers landed the best cornerback on the market in J.C. Jackson, formerly of the New England Patriots. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Chargers and Jackson agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal with $40 million guaranteed. That $16.5 million average would be tied for the sixth highest among NFL cornerbacks, tying Byron Jones’ deal with the Miami Dolphins from 2020.
As though adding Jackson and Mack wasn’t enough, the Chargers are signing a couple of run stuffers to sizable contracts to bolster a unit that gave up the third most rushing yards in the NFL last year. Defensive tackles Austin Johnson (two years, up to $14 million) and Sebastian Joseph-Day (three years, up to $24 million) also agreed to new deals with the Chargers, according to multiple reports.
These are the types of deals a team makes either because it is in rebuilding mode and has plenty of cap space or because it believes it has a window to win big immediately. The Chargers fall in the latter category.
With quarterback Justin Herbert set to play next season at the bargain cap rate of $7.2 million and not eligible for a lucrative extension until 2023, Los Angeles recognizes its window is wide open, even in the competitive AFC West division. But for the…
Source : espn
