New Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will be working with a backup quarterback who was already in L.A.
Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, Trey Lance has signed a one-year deal to return to the Chargers. It’s reportedly worth “up to” $6.75 million (which means the base value will be lower, perhaps significantly).
Lance signed with the Chargers as a free agent in 2025. He appeared in four games with one start, completing 27 of 57 passes for 226 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 50.8.
The third overall pick of the 49ers in 2021, Lance’s days as a starter have seemingly ended. He entered 2022 as the Week 1 starting quarterback in San Francisco, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. By 2023, Brock Purdy had moved from last player drafted to the top of the depth chart.
Lance was traded to the Cowboys that same year. He spent the final two seasons of his rookie contract in Dallas.
For his career, Lance has 16 regular-season appearances and six starts.
Chargers Clips
The Falcons have agreed to terms with defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand on a one-year, $3 million deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports.
Hand, 30, played for the Chargers last season. He started 13 games and saw action on 451 defensive snaps and 53 on special teams, totaling 29 tackles, 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hits and an interception.
He spent four weeks on injured reserve after injuring his groin in a Week 5 game.
Hand entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Lions in 2018 and spent three-plus seasons in Detroit. He also spent time with the Titans and Dolphins.
In his career, Hand has totaled 131 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, nine passes defensed and four forced fumbles.
Veteran tight end Tyler Conklin’s next stop will be Detroit.
Conklin’s agent Mike McCartney announced that his client has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Lions.
Conklin is making the move to the NFC North after spending last season with the Chargers. He had seven catches for 101 yards while appearing in 13 games and making five starts.
That came after a three-year run that saw Conklin catch 170 passes for 1,622 yards and seven touchdowns with the Jets.
Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Zach Horton, and Thomas Gordon are the other tight ends on the roster for the Lions.
Veteran defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson has found a new home.
Tomlinson’s agents announced that their client has agreed to terms with the Chargers. Tomlinson was released by the Cardinals earlier this week.
Tomlinson signed with the Cardinals after being released by the Browns last year and he started all 17 games in Arizona. Tomlinson had 26 tackles and a sack in those apperances.
Tomlinson spent two years with the Browns and two years with the Vikings after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Giants.
The Chargers also have Teair Tart, Jamaree Caldwell, Justin Eboigbe, TeRah Edwards, and Josh Fuga under contract on their defensive line.
The Dolphins announced an addition to their offensive line on Friday morning.
They have signed Jamaree Salyer as a free agent. The team did not share any of the terms of their deal.
Salyer was a 2022 sixth-round pick by the Chargers and spent the last four years with the team. He played in 64 games and made 40 starts during that span.
Salyer’s starts came at both guard and tackle while in Los Angeles. It’s unclear just how he’ll fit into the Dolphins’ plans as they have four starters back and four members of the 2025 offensive line group still unsigned for the 2026 season.
The relocated flag football tournament, which has moved from Saudi Arabia to L.A. due to the war in the Middle East, has added more participants.
Via Sports Business Journal, Fanatics announced the full roster of players earlier this week.
In addition to the active NFL players previously named (Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley), more current pro football players will take part: Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Rams receiver Davante Adams, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., and Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey.
Several current free agents also will play: Von Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Deebo Samuel, and Stefon Diggs.
The recent pivot to the inclusion of the U.S. men’s national flag football team as one of the three teams in the tournament likely will make the tournament more competitive. The flag players will hope to show they are better suited to represent the United States in the Olympics in 2028.
That will do nothing to reduce the risk of injury associated with the event. If the free agents haven’t signed by March 21, any sort of injury could complicate their effort to find a new NFL team.
And, yes, the risk of injury is lower than the risk they assume when suiting up and playing full-contact tackle football. There’s still risk, as promising young NFL running back Robert Edwards once learned the very hard way.
The two teams of current and former NFL players and various non-football players will be picked from the pool of players on March 19.
Tom Brady is the ringleader of the tournament. And, as one team executive recently opined, there’s no way Tom Brady would be playing in a flag football tournament if he was still playing in the NFL.
Regardless, the flag football tournament, which will be televised by Fox, could be interesting extra-screen viewing during the second round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Veteran linebacker Denzel Perryman is set to sign another contract with the Chargers.
Agent Ron Butler told Ian Rapoport of NFL Media that Perryman will re-sign with the AFC West club. It is a one-year deal for Perryman for his 12th NFL season.
Perryman started 10 regular season games last season while missing time due to injury and suspension. He also started the team’s playoff loss to the Patriots. He had 47 tackles in the regular season and four in the postseason game.
Perryman also started 11 games for the Chargers in 2023 and he made 51 starts in a six-year stint with the team to open his career. He’s also played for the Raiders and Texans, but won’t be adding another team to that list in 2026.
Running back Keaton Mitchell played for John Harbaugh for the last three seasons and he’s set to play for Jim Harbaugh in 2026.
According to multiple reports, Mitchell has agreed to terms with the Chargers. It’s a two-year deal worth $9.25 million with $5 million in guaranteed money.
Mitchell made the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and flashed big-play potential by averaging 8.4 yards per carry during his rookie season. A knee injury cut that year short, however, and Mitchell played just five games in 2024 before returning to average 5.8 yards per carry in 13 appearances for Baltimore last season.
The Ravens did not tender Mitchell as a restricted free agent, however, and the Chargers will now team him with Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal in their backfield.
The Chargers will be bringing back core special teamer Del’Shawn Phillips.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Phillips has agreed to a new contract. It is a two-year deal worth $7.5 million and includes incentives that can increase the total value of the pact by another $3 million.
Phillips signed with the Chargers last season and played 80 percent of the special teams snaps while playing sparingly on defense. He had 39 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in the 18 games the Chargers played during the regular season and playoffs.
Phillips has also played for the Texans, Ravens, Jets and Bills.
The Chargers are re-signing veteran offensive lineman Trey Pipkins to a two-year, $10 million deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. Pipkins can earn up to $12M with playtime incentives.
Pipkins, 29, arrived with the team as a third-round pick in 2019. He has spent his entire seven-year career with the Chargers.
In 2025, Pipkins played 13 games, starting 10, on an injury-plagued offensive line. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are returning from season-ending injuries, so Pipkins’ return provides the Chargers with insurance.
He has appeared in 97 games, with 66 starts, in his career.
Pipkins has played 4,459 offensive snaps.
