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Will the Los Angeles Chargers find a way to make it back into the NFL playoffs in 2023?
The Chargers took their first spot in the playoffs since 2018 after they ended their 2022 regular season campaign with a record of 10-7, putting them in second place in the AFC West and fifth in the AFC. There will be plenty for the Chargers to look out for before the 2023 NFL season, including a few key position battles and the return of some of the team's key players.
Los Angeles re-signed various players during the offseason, including quarterback Justin Herbert. The former Oregon quarterback signed a five-year contract extension with the Chargers worth up to $262.5 million, locking down the Pro-Bowl quarterback until 2029, according to sports salaries and contracts website Spotrac.
Who is one surprise player who could make or break the Chargers' 2023 NFL season?
Eric Kendricks
After trading for former Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack and signing former New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson to a five-year contract, the Chargers made one more significant move to strengthen their defense during the 2023 off-season.
The Chargers signed linebacker Eric Kendricks to a two-year, $13.25 million contract in March, adding to a defense that took seventh place in the NFL with 3,406 passing yards allowed. Kendricks, a one-time Pro Bowler for the Minnesota Vikings, played and started in 17 games for Minnesota during his eighth season with the squad.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley had high praise for the former UCLA linebacker in March.
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“He's one of the most complete linebackers in the last decade,” Staley said, via Chargers.com Senior Writer Eric Smith. “You're talking about five to seven players that are as complete as a linebacker as he is. His instincts, his key diagnose, his ability to communicate, that energy in the middle, a true commander.
“Tackling machine sideline to sideline, in the box, physicality. He's one of the best passing game linebackers in the last decade. He comes from a pattern-match scheme in Mike Zimmer, which is how we play, so the scheme transition is seamless.”
Kendricks will join a Chargers' defense featuring former seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker in Mack, the former No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft in linebacker Joey Bosa and a former rookie All-Pro in safety Derwin James. Defensive lineman Morgan Fox, formerly from the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers, re-signed with the Chargers in March after he took starting roles in 12 of the 17 games he suited up for in 2022.
Kendricks can play an important part in solidifying the Chargers' run defense in 2023. Los Angeles ended the 2022 season with a total of 2,478 rushing yards, putting them at 28th in the NFL behind the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns, according to NFL.com. Their 17 rushing touchdowns allowed put them on par with the Carolina Panthers and around 22nd in the league.
Kendricks ended the regular season with a Pro Football Focus rush defense grade of 81.1, putting him just below Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards for seventh place among players who played in a minimum of 400 run defense snaps.
If Kendricks can continue to be a solid run-stopping option as he transitions into playing with the Chargers defense, he can play a key role in boosting the team's defense enough for a potential extended run in the NFL playoffs.
