The LA Chargers made a major investment to keep their star quarterback Justin Herbert protected, but their $30 million move has taken a brutal turn. Tyler Biadasz (C), who was brought in to help anchor the offensive line, is officially out for the season.

“Just in: #Chargers C Tyler Biadasz will miss the entire 2026 NFL season,” NFL insider Ari Meirov wrote on X. “Biadasz was a major FA signing this offseason, getting a 3-year, $30M deal to solidify the center position in front of Justin Herbert in Mike McDaniel’s offense.”

Tyler Biadasz suffered a multi-ligament left knee injury, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The injury occurred on August 18, 2026, during an 11-on-11 drill at a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers when a left guard blocked 49ers defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez directly into Biadasz’s lower body.

The collision forced his left leg to fold backward and hyperextend under the defender’s weight. Biadasz remained down on the field for roughly five minutes in noticeable pain, surrounded by trainers, before being carted off to the locker room.

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Initial MRI scans and imaging confirmed structural damage to his ACL along with additional unspecified ligament injuries in the same knee. Biadasz and the Chargers front office spent the days following the incident seeking multiple medical opinions to explore all treatment and rehab paths. However, on August 23, the Chargers officially placed Biadasz on the Injured Reserve (IR) list.

With Biadasz sidelined, rookie second-round pick Jake Slaughter has taken over first-team repetitions at center and is expected to start for quarterback Justin Herbert, a situation the Chargers did not foresee a few weeks back.

Tyler Biadasz comes in with six seasons and 92 games of experience. So, when former Chargers center Bradley Bozeman announced his retirement on February 23, 2026, the LA-based franchise signed Biadasz as his replacement on March 6, 2026, in a three-year, $30 million deal.

Comparatively, Biadasz also stood as an improvement over Bozeman in both pass and run blocking metrics from the previous season. According to ESPN statistics, the difference in performance was significant. Biadasz was ranked 15th in the NFL for Pass Block Win Rate, while Bozeman was ranked 30th. Similarly, in Run Block Win Rate, Biadasz held the 16th position, surpassing Bozeman, who ranked 18th.

However, the plans to see Biadasz block for QB Justin Herbert have been shattered. Yet, Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh appears quite confident in the prowess of his backup center, Jack Slaughter.

“The mind is sharp from snap, pre-snap, snap to whistle,” Harbaugh said of Slaughter. “The way he understands the position, it’s really good.”

Slaughter already took over the first-team reps during the first two preseason games against the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers. But with the Tyler Biadasz indefinite injury confirmation, more eyes will be on the rookie center’s performance in the Week 3 preseason clash against the LA Rams on August 27.