The Chargers were on a bye this week and unfortunately saw the Dolphins earn their first win against the Jets which leaves the Bolts as the lone winless team in the NFL this season.
Through six weeks, one side of the ball has been much better than the other. The Chargers defense has 15 player graded at 60.0 or higher on the season while the offense has 10. The craziest part? Justin Herbert is not one of those 10 players. He’s actually among the bottom five as of now.
Talk about a worst-case scenario-type
season for the Chargers.
Alas. Let’s go ahead and reflect on how the Chargers have done this season, individually, via Pro Football Focus.
Offense
Best
WR Ladd McConkey – 74.4
OT Rashawn Slater – 73.7
OT Joe Alt – 71.6
OT Travis Burke – 70.5
FB Scott Matlock – 66.8
When McConkey is on the field, his ability to perform in this offense is night-and-day different from every other receiver on the Chargers. Without him, this system continues to look like it has no chance.
Unsurprisingly, Slater and Alt are the Chargers’ best offensive linemen but both have missed multiple games so far this season. Slater will miss more after the bye while still on IR but Alt is reportedly set to return this week against the Rams after receiving good news on his neck injury.
The rookie Burke has surprised in his surprise duties on the left side and he’s currently the fourth-highest graded player on the Chargers at the bye. Should the staff make a point to fit him into the lineup? Would that come at guard? I wouldn’t be surprised to see some effort made to keep him on the field, even after both starting tackles return.
Best receiving grade: WR Ladd McConkey -73.0
Best pass block grade: OT Joe Alt – 77.3
Best run block grade: OT Joe Alt – 80.2
Best rusher: RB Kimani Vidal – 65.3
Worst
OT/G Trey Pipkins – 37.1
OT Daniel Brunskill – 44.3
QB Justin Herbert – 44.5
C Jacob Spomer – 44.6
WR Brenen Thompson – 45.3
Pipkins has never been a good guard and it was only a mistake for Jim Harbaugh to force him into the lineup there. Pipkins’ trainer, Duke Manyweather, has been vocal about this on social media. I’d trust him over this staff at this point.
Herbert’s been bad. Not the sole reason the team is bad, but reality is that he is not jiving with the offense and no one is winning, in any sort’ve way.
Thompson has barely played this season and it’s unfortunate his small sample size came against the Raiders when he couldn’t hold on to the ball in big moments. I’m excited to see him come back, but for now his outlook does not look great.
Defense
Best
EDGE Akheem Mesidor – 75.8
LB Troy Dye – 75.5
EDGE Khalil Mack – 75.2
S Elijah Molden – 73.5
EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu – 72.9
Mesifor is your highest-graded Chargers defender this season through six weeks. His worst grade is 60.6 in run defense, but all three of his pass rush, coverage, and tackling grades are all top three on the team.
Dye has not played as much as either Daiyan Henley or Del’Shawn Phillips, but he’s made the most of his snaps with a pair turnovers forced.
Mack and Tuipulotu continue to be rock-steady up front for a Chargers defense that continues to be the best part of this team so far in 2026.
Best run defense grade: S Tony Jefferson – 79.9
Best tackling grade: EDGE Akheem Mesidor – 81.1
Best pass rush grade: LB Troy Dye – 82.9
Best coverage grade: CB Tarheeb Still – 76.6
Worst
CB Rodney Shelley – 26.9
CB Deane Leonard – 40.2
DT Nick Barrett – 44.5
DT Teair Tart – 49.0
EDGE Bud Dupree – 52.0
Shelley has been bad just about every time he’s stepped on the field. He is the worst-graded Charger on the entire team by a good amount.
Barrett is just a rookie, but he has sub-60.0 grades in both run defense and pass rush. His tackling grade is still good at 72.5, however.
Tart has been best as a pass rusher this year but he’s received rough grades in both run defense and tackling. He needs to get those numbers up if he wants to keep earning the extension he received this offseason.
