Former All-Pro offensive lineman Jason Kelce defended the Chargers' offensive line after fans trashed the team over a viral sack from Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.
Many fans on social media turned to this fourth-quarter sack and flamed the Chargers, quarterback Justin Herbert and the offensive line in every way, shape and form.
Three Chargers linemen blocking one guy while two defenders sack Justin Herbert 👀
— “JordanOnSports” (@JordanOnSports1) September 14, 2026
That’s gotta be frustrating. pic.twitter.com/E57IiP07wm
However, Kelce didn't agree with the people trashing on the offensive line.
"A lot of people showing they actually have absolutely no idea how protections work or what the offensive line is responsible for on any given play," Kelce wrote on social media.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh said Herbert
calls the team's protection and did what he was supposed to do here by attempting to throw hot.
On top of that, Herbert said a receiver broke in instead of out, the receiver being Tre Harris.
“He did what we had planned to do,” Harbaugh said of Herbert. “He was prepared to throw the hot.”
As for Kelce and defending the Chargers, he went on to break down how the Cardinals disguised the blitz.
At the line of scrimmage #5 who the RT has is going to drop, and #1 who the center has is going to drop. pic.twitter.com/9MZPE4vzNI
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) September 14, 2026
Kelce went in depth and detailed what happened and what should've happened in the play.
"They were blocking the five guys on the line of scrimmage to start, two of those guys dropped, the right guard applied back when his guy looped out to the tackle, the center applied left when his guy dropped," Kelce continued.
"The left guard is blocking 'his man' with the other three as a result, he could have redirected maybe a touch sooner, but the blitzers were already well past him. It's also a five-man protection, so unless Herbert pulls a crazy call out of his ass because he knows for sure this blitz is coming he's going to be hot. If the call was a sort to the left, even though the center's guy was head up on the line, which we have done, that could speed the left guard redirecting to one of the blitzers, but they still would be hot from Budda [Baker]. You could argue the left tackle should squeeze this because it's five-man protection, but again they would still be hot."
The Chargers entered the 2026 season with some questions surrounding the interior line, and their performance on Sunday only amplified those worries.
The good news regarding the line is that the tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, were spectacular, especially Slater. The left tackle looked like his All-Pro self after missing all of 2025.
The Chargers' offensive line play was far from smooth; however, they have a chance to right their wrongs in Week 2 vs. the Raiders.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Former All-Pro OL Jason Kelce calls out Chargers fans after viral sack
