The Los Angeles Chargers’ new general manager, Joe Hortiz, faced brutal financial decisions from the start of the 2024 offseason. The team stood $24.6 million over the salary cap with Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen soaking up nearly 40 percent of the payroll with cap hits of $30+ million apiece.
In the end, their two pass rushers took pay cuts through restructured contracts to stay in Lala Land, but the two wideouts refused to accept pay cuts, which led to the release of Williams (who later signed with the New York Jets) and the shocking trade of Allen to the Chicago Bears for nothing but a fourth-round pick.
Los Angeles Chargers GM Joe Hortiz Speaks Out
Hortiz recently spoke about the difficulties of trading Allen and cutting Williams:
“I don’t ever want to be in a situation like we were this year where you’re having to make hard decisions. We had to make decisions with the idea of not just this year, but next year and the year after that, being conscious of the depth and the way we’re spending money into the future.”
Getting just a fourth-round pick out of Allen and Williams hurts, but the realities of the NFL salary cap can be painful.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Cap Puzzle
Thanks to former GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers held four of the biggest non-QB cap hits in the entire league. It’s not sustainable to have four players taking up that much cap space, especially when none of them are quarterbacks.
Mack and Bosa agreeing to restructure their contracts was the biggest reason they were retained while Allen and Williams were not. According to Hortiz, the team also approached Allen about multiple restructuring or extension options that would keep him with the team while also providing salary relief.
If you want speed, get Tyreek Hill
If you want route running, get Keenan Allen
If you want physicality, get AJ Brown
If you want good hands, get Justin Jefferson
If you want YAC, get Deebo Samuel
If you want size, get Mike EvansBut if you want all of that, get Dalton Kincaid pic.twitter.com/psst9YksjU
— 𝓐𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓣𝓸𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓪𝓲𝓭_ (@AllenToKincaid_) March 23, 2024
“I think when you’re talking about trading Keenan specifically, yeah, that’s not a decision you make with no acknowledgment of, ‘This is a talented player that can still compete.’ We had four great players with great contracts in terms of great volume, great money.”
“We had to address that, and we approached it in the sense that we respect all four players, value all four players, and know that all four players can help us win. (…) We were going to have to make moves, and we weren’t locked into any two players throughout the process.”
It sounds like whichever of the four was willing to restructure their contracts was most likely to stay with the team. Allen, who just recorded his most receptions as a pro (108) to go with 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in just 13 games, wasn’t going to take a pay cut.
Allen’s agent, Joby Branion, doesn’t recall the “multiple different options” put forth by the team. As he responded on Twitter:
“To be clear, only one offer was made. It was a pay cut for 2024 with a 2-year extension (and both years had even deeper cuts to his current pay). We made a counteroffer. It was rejected. Then we were informed of the #Chargers’ intention to trade @Keenan13Allen.”
The Future of the Los Angeles Chargers
It’s worth noting that pass rushers are generally much more difficult to replace than wide receivers, especially with the 2024 draft class. Hortiz is hoping their young WRs, Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer, can fill the large shoes left by Allen and Williams, though if they keep the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, they should consider adding one of the top three wideout prospects (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze).
Hortiz is also betting that all-world quarterback Justin Herbert will be able to do more with less as they try to rebuild the roster. Only time will tell if he’s right.
Source: Givemesport
