The LA Chargers have made several moves this offseason that have been questioned by the fanbase. With the front office having a built-in track record for success, patience is emerging as Chargers fans' most useful tool. The offseason is a marathon, not a sprint.
That mindset may be harder to remember when the Chargers make a move that seemingly signals the end of a fan-favorite's tenure in LA. The Chargers are reportedly not using a restricted free-agent tender on Stone Smartt, allowing the tight end to become an unrestricted free agent.
Smartt emerged as a true fan favorite down the stretch of the 2024 season so this move may be hard to understand for most of the fanbase. However, while it inherently seems bad for Smartt's future in LA, it doesn't have to be.
Chargers don't tender Stone Smart, who could still return in free agency
The Chargers refusing to use a tender on Stone Smartt may seem like a bad thing for his future in LA on the surface but in reality, this move might not mean anything about whether or not he will return to the Bolts.
The cheapest the Chargers could have tendered Smartt for as a restricted free agent would have been $3.2 million. Even the biggest fans of Smartt would agree he is not going to get that much on the open market, so this saves the Chargers some salary-cap space.
Los Angeles has been very careful with the contracts it is handing out, despite being near the top of the league in salary-cap space. It is totally on-brand for the Chargers to make this move to save a few million against the cap.
Of course, that is assuming the team wants him back. While this doesn't necessarily guarantee the end of Smartt's tenure in LA, it very well could. As promising as Smartt was down the stretch, he is a poor blocker and we know how important that it at the tight end position, especially as a depth tight end.
Plus, his "breakout" that has some fans convinced he should stay consisted of a four-game stretch where he had 13 catches for 164 yards (with no touchdowns). Sure, it was a cool moment to see Smartt getting his chance on the Chargers, but the Bolts had to use him by necessity.
Nothing against Smartt but if the Chargers roll into 2025 with him as one of the best better pass-catching tight ends then this offseason is a failure. The Chargers have to aim higher than that.
They could be doing exactly that by not tendering him this offseason. That or the Chargers are trying to save a few bucks.