The Los Angeles Chargers 2023 season didn’t go to plan, leaving them to finish the year with a 5-12 record. It led the team to fire former head coach Brandon Staley, but they did hire Jim Harbaugh to take over. Harbaugh creates new excitement around the team, something that they haven’t had in quite some time. Los Angeles is looking to get themselves back into a place of contention, but there is work to do on the roster. One name that has floated around the Bolts this offseason is star running back Saquon Barkley.
Barkley will be a free agent this offseason, and the Chargers are expected to at least take a look at bringing him in. According to DraftKings, the Bolts hold the third-best odds to land Barkley this offseason. “The Giants boast the best odds (-150) to sign Barkley to a contract in the offseason, according to DraftKings. The Houston Texans (+275) hold the second-best odds to bring in Barkley, and the Los Angeles Chargers sit right behind them at +400.” Per Steve Zavala of AZ Sports Barkley played in 14 games for the New York Giants last season, posting 962 yards and six touchdowns. He would be a massive addition to this Chargers offense, giving them an explosive runner. Barkley is also a strong finisher, allowing Los Angeles to have another legitimate threat down in the red zone. Harbaugh loves to have power-type backs on his team, and Barkley is one of the best in the game. The former number two overall pick has dealt with some injuries throughout his career, but he has seemed to get over that in recent times. The biggest issue for the Bolts will be to not be tempted to bring back Austin Ekeler. He is also a free agent, and Harbaugh has spoken about his level of desire to have Ekeler return to the team next season. Ekeler knows the Chargers well, but he did have a down 2023 year. Typically, running backs’ shelf life doesn’t last very long in the league, and Ekeler has a good amount of wear and tear on him.
Harbaugh loves to have power-type backs on his team, and Barkley is one of the best in the game. The former number two overall pick has dealt with some injuries throughout his career, but he has seemed to get over that in recent times. The biggest issue for the Bolts will be to not be tempted to bring back Austin Ekeler. He is also a free agent, and Harbaugh has spoken about his level of desire to have Ekeler return to the team next season. Ekeler knows the Chargers well, but he did have a down 2023 year. Typically, running backs’ shelf life doesn’t last very long in the league, and Ekeler has a good amount of wear and tear on him.
Whatever route the Bolts go this offseason, they will focus on beefing up the offensive line to run the ball. Harbaugh’s offenses normally have a strong run focus to them, and they can’t really go wrong with adding Barkley, keeping Ekeler, or going in a completely different direction.
