Los Angeles Chargers Center Bradley Bozeman announced his retirement on Monday after eight seasons. Though Bozeman brought experience to the position, his production certainly wasn’t his best in his last two seasons in LA.
He ranked 40th in terms of offense (51.7%) and run blocking (51.1%) during the 2025 regular season out of 40 centers ranked via Pro Football Focus, and 37th in pass blocking (49.2%). Overall, Bozeman allowed a career high in hits (six) and hurries (22) in the 2025 regular season.
There were some good moments in 2025, such as in Week 6 against the Dolphins, where tight end Will Dissly got a gain of 14 yards after Bozeman ran outside of the pocket to help block, but those good moments were few and far between.
The Chargers have been struggling to find consistency at the position after the retirement of Corey Linsley, so with Bozeman retiring and saving the Chargers a little over $5.8 million, as they have about $83 million in cap space already, maybe they can finally find a permanent solution.
Los Angeles Chargers Free Agency Options At Center
An option already at the Chargers’ fingertips for center is Andre James, who is an unrestricted free agent this year. James only started one game for the Chargers in Week 18 of 2025 against Denver, and also played a bit in Week 11 against the Jags.
He saw more action during the preseason, where he participated in each game, including starting against the Saints.
James performed fairly well for the Raiders before coming to LA, not allowing many sacks or pressures. PFF projects him to have a one-year contract at a little over $1.2 million, so if the Chargers are looking for a stopgap as they train a rookie center from the draft, James may be their answer.
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The Chargers could also consider putting offensive guard Zion Johnson into the position permanently. Famously, Johnson and Bozeman were being swapped in and out at guard and center in training camp, and while Bozeman had played guard in the NFL, Johnson had no prior experience at center.
Johnson is currently an unrestricted free agent, with a PFF projected four-year contract of $12.75 million average per year. Johnson has been an okay guard over the last few years since being drafted by the Chargers. And with a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDanel, perhaps the Chargers will just look to re-sign Johnson at the guard position. But he’s an option at center if the Chargers really want to get creative.
In terms of top centers, there aren’t many in free agency. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum’s offense grade puts him at fifth amongst centers in the regular season and fourth in run-blocking. He’s played some clean football, and though he allowed a little more pressure and hurries in 2025 than in years past, the number of allowed sacks (two) is still very low.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic relayed in his free agency analysis that Linderbaum’s “run blocking is among the best in the league,” which is certainly something Bozeman struggled with and the Chargers will need if they plan to utilize running back Omarion Hampton to his fullest potential. PFF has a contract projection for him at four-years, about $20 million average per year, so the Chargers would really have to commit some money to get him.
The other center that would be good for the Chargers is Connor McGovern from the Bills. From the 2025 regular season, he currently ranks 15th in offense amongst centers, 20th in run blocking, and sixth in pass blocking. He did not allow any sacks in the last two seasons.
Popper noted that McGovern “wins consistently, both as a run blocker and pass protector, with technique, quick reactions and athleticism,” and also remarked on McGovern’s experience at guard and center. The versatility will be especially important for a team like the Chargers that had a revolving cast of offensive linemen this past season. PFF is projecting him to have a three-year, $13 million average per year contract.
The odds of Linderbaum and McGovern getting away from their respective teams feel slim, so the other realistic option besides James may be the draft.
NFL Draft Options
Connor Lew from Auburn is currently included in all analysts’ rankings from ESPN’s 2026 NFL Draft Position Rankings. He did suffer an ACL tear in October, which explains the lack of games played in 2025, and may be a point of contention for any team that’s considering him. Based on his 2024 season, though, where he had a career high in snaps played, he allowed only one sack and very few hurries or pressures.
Logan Jones of Iowa is another option that appeared on multiple analysts’ lists and allowed only one sack last season. His PFF pass and run blocking grades have been consistently high the last two seasons, and he actually had a career-high pass blocking grade in the 2025 regular season (90.2%). Perhaps the Chargers may luck out on another rookie as they did with offensive tackle Joe Alt, who can perform at a high level right away.
The Chargers are also famous for finding some diamonds in later rounds, so there’s still a chance they could find a good option at center even if they miss out on the first day.