Chargers find their new center, sign Tyler Biadasz ahead of free agency

The Los Angeles Chargers have signed center Tyler Biadasz, the team announced Friday. According to NFL Network, it is a three-year, $30 million deal.

As The Athletic first reported, the Chargers hosted Biadasz for a visit at The Bolt, their team facility in El Segundo, Calif., on Thursday. That visit led to the Chargers finding their new starting center for 2026.

Coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz have now taken their first step toward rebuilding the interior of the offensive line in front of Justin Herbert, who was hit more than any quarterback in the league last season.

Biadasz was cut by the Washington Commanders last week. He signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Commanders in the 2024 offseason.

In two seasons in Washington, including the postseason, Biadasz started 34 games at center. The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the fourth round in 2020. Over four seasons in Dallas, including the playoffs, Biadasz started 57 games. He ranked No. 75 on The Athletic’s top-150 free agents list and was the fifth-best center available.

Since Biadasz was released, he is eligible to sign before the start of free agency. The league’s negotiating window for pending unrestricted free agents begins at 9 a.m. (PT) Monday.

A league source told The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala that Biadasz is fully healthy after battling through foot and ankle injuries last season. The Commanders decided to go “in a different direction,” the league source said.

How he fits

Bradley Bozeman, who started at center for the Chargers for the past two seasons, retired earlier this offseason. Even before Bozeman retired, the Chargers were going to have to upgrade at center.

Biadasz represents a clear upgrade, and the Chargers did not have to shop at the top of the market to make it happen. He is a savvy player who understands angles and leverage. Though Biadasz is not physically imposing or a plus athlete by NFL standards, he has the experience and smarts to solidify a position of need for the Chargers.

2026 roster impact

The Chargers could be entering 2026 with three new starters on the interior of their offensive line. Biadasz is one at center.

The Chargers cut right guard Mekhi Becton earlier this week and will need to find a replacement. Left guard Zion Johnson is a pending free agent, and his market appears to be quite robust. Johnson could walk, and that would mean the Chargers must find a replacement at left guard, as well.

They also need to add multiple depth pieces, both at tackle on the interior. Biadasz is only the Chargers’ sixth rostered offensive lineman. However, the Biadasz signing brings the IOL picture into clearer focus.

Cap update

The projected cap hit for Biadasz will be $7 million in 2026. Considering how the center market could explode this offseason, this is a smart deal for the Chargers.

Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum is in a position to reset the market at more than $18 million per year. Buffalo Bills center Connor McGovern is also poised to sign a lucrative contract.

The Chargers want to spread money around throughout the interior of their offensive line — and throughout the roster. Shopping in the mid-market at center maintains this flexibility.

Factoring in a $7 million projected cap hit for Biadasz, the Chargers still have about $92 million in total space, according to figures from Over the Cap. Factoring in draft-pick compensation and the salaries needed to hit 51 rostered players, the Chargers have $85.9 million in effective space. Factoring in an $8 million in-season budget for costs like practice squad and injury settlements, the Chargers have $77.9 million in spending space.

Daniel Popper’s takeaway

Finding a stable solution at center was the most important item on the Chargers’ to-do list heading into the offseason. They check it off before the negotiating window even opens.

Biadasz will provide the Chargers functionality they did not have with Bozeman, particularly in pass protection. Bozeman did a lot for the Chargers at the line of scrimmage pre-snap in terms of making calls and reading fronts.

Biadasz has similar intelligence, and he will bring far more to the offensive line in terms of physical capabilities. The Chargers can still draft a center of the future in April. They can still attack multiple other positions in free agency — and a top-of-market contract is not out of the picture. I like this deal on multiple fronts.