zion johnson chargers option
Christian Petersen/Getty
The Los Angeles Chargers will not be picking up the fifth-year option for former first round pick Zion Johnson.
The Los Angeles Chargers had plenty to answer for at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week. A first-round exit in the playoffs. A new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel. An offensive line that needs serious attention. General manager Joe Hortiz took the podium Tuesday and worked through all of it.
Among the topics on the table was Zion Johnson. The left guard is heading toward free agency, and what happens with him will shape the interior of Justin Herbert‘s protection for years to come.
Hortiz addressed it. He chose his words carefully.
Hortiz Addresses Johnson’s Contract Situation
chargers 5th year option first round pick
Stacy Revere/GettyLos Angeles Chargers General manager Joe Hortiz.
Johnson was the 17th overall pick in the 2022 draft. The Chargers declined his fifth-year option last offseason, which means he will hit the open market for the first time in March. His 2025 season was arguably the best of his career — he did not miss an offensive snap until the team rested starters in the regular-season finale — which means his market will be competitive. Estimates from around the league put his annual value anywhere between $12 million and $20 million depending on how aggressively teams address their interior line needs.
Hortiz was not about to tip his hand on a number. But he made clear the Chargers are engaged.
“We’ll meet with his agent this week,” Hortiz told reporters. “We’ve talked to him already and we’ll continue the dialogue.”
He expanded on the team’s evaluation process when pressed further. The Chargers have a valuation range on Johnson, as they do with every pending free agent. There is flexibility built in. There is no hard ceiling.
“We’ll see what happens with Zion, where the market goes, if he gets to the market,” Hortiz said. “We’ll stay engaged with him through the process.”
That is measured language from a GM who knows how to walk a tightrope. It signals genuine interest without committing to anything. The market will develop over the next few weeks, and the Chargers will be watching closely.
Why the Johnson Decision Carries So Much Weight
Zion Johnson
GettyZion Johnson, Los Angeles Chargers.
The interior line situation in Los Angeles is complicated. Center Bradley Bozeman retired this offseason, leaving a hole at the middle of the line. Right guard Mekhi Becton is the team’s top cut candidate after a disappointing run marked by injuries and inconsistency. That is potentially three new starters across the interior in a single offseason — a scenario that creates obvious disruption for a quarterback who depends on clean pockets.
That context is exactly why re-signing Johnson makes sense on paper. He is a known commodity. He improved in 2025. Continuity has value, especially with McDaniel installing a new system that will ask Herbert to operate quickly and efficiently. Overhauling the entire interior at once would make that transition harder than it needs to be.
Hortiz is also operating without a franchise tag in play. He confirmed Tuesday that no player is in line to receive the designation. That means the Chargers will either get a deal done in the coming weeks or watch Johnson walk to the highest bidder.
What Comes Next for the Chargers
The new league year opens March 11. That is the window where things will move quickly. If Johnson reaches open market, teams with cap space and interior line needs will come calling fast. The Chargers have the resources to compete — their cap situation gives them room to maneuver — but desire and resources are two different things.
Khalil Mack and Odafe Oweh are the bigger names in Los Angeles’s free agent picture. Johnson does not carry the same profile. But for a team trying to protect Herbert and give McDaniel the tools to build something special, getting this decision right matters just as much.
Final Word for the Chargers
Hortiz was careful Tuesday, and that is exactly what you would expect from a GM navigating a situation with this many moving parts. Johnson improved in 2025. The market will reflect that. Whether the Chargers are willing to meet that market is the question that will define a significant portion of their offseason.
The interior line needs work regardless of what happens with Johnson. Bozeman is gone. Becton’s future is uncertain. McDaniel is arriving with ideas and expectations about how the run game and protection should function.
Johnson gives them a known piece in the middle of all that uncertainty. The next few weeks will reveal whether that is enough for the Chargers to bring him back.
The clock is ticking.