To say the Chargers were desperate for help on their bruised, bloodied and bandaged offensive line was an understatement. So, they acquired tackle Trevor Penning from the New Orleans Saints before the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon, the Chargers announced.
The Chargers lost left tackle Rashawn Slater to a season-ending knee injury during training back in August. Joe Alt, Slater’s replacement after moving from right tackle, suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s victory over the Tennessee Titans that will require season-ending surgery.
In addition, right guard Mekhi Becton and replacement right tackle Trey Pipkins III have been sidelined by injuries at various points during the season. Plus, Bobby Hart, a right tackle, exited the Chargers’ 27-20 victory over the Titans in the first quarter because of groin and ankle injuries.
It was expected going into training camp that Slater, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, would start at left tackle and Alt, the fifth pick in the 2024 draft, would start at right tackle. Zion Johnson would be the left guard, Bradley Bozeman would be the center and Becton would be the right guard.
The Chargers signed Becton to a two-year, $6.9 million during the offseason, after he helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl in February.
Penning could step into a starting role as early as the Chargers’ game Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers at SoFi Stadium. He has played six games this season, starting all six, for the Saints, including their 34-10 loss to the Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
New Orleans picked Penning in the first round (19th overall) out of Northern Iowa in the 2022 draft. He has played a full season only twice, most recently in 2024 when he started all 17 games for the Saints. The Chargers reportedly sent the Saints a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Penning, 26, is listed at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds. He was sidelined earlier this season by toe and ankle injuries, but he’s been healthy for the past five games. After their loss to the Rams on Sunday, the Saints fell to 1-8 under first-year coach Kellen Moore, a former Chargers offensive coordinator.
The Saints drafted Penning with the idea that he would become their starting left tackle for many seasons to come. But he struggled with a turf toe injury as a rookie in the 2022 season, was benched midway through the ’23 season and then settled into a new position at right tackle last season.
Penning then shifted to left guard for most of this season, playing less-than-stellar ball, according to media reports from New Orleans. The Saints declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his contract during the offseason, making him eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in March.
The deal for Penning wasn’t the only one the Chargers made before the deadline. They also swapped defensive back Ja’Sir Taylor for the New York Jets’ seventh-round pick in the 2028 draft. The selection is conditional, according to the Chargers’ news release.
Taylor played all nine games this season in a reserve role and 57 overall for the Chargers, who drafted him in the sixth round from Wake Forest in 2022. He made only two starts in 24 games the past two seasons, both coming in Jim Harbaugh’s first season in 2024 as the Chargers’ coach.
In other news, the Chargers announced long snapper Rick Lovato has retired, clearing the way for long snapper Josh Harris’ activation from injured reserve. Harris was injured during training camp and was sidelined for the season’s first nine games because of a chest ailment.
Harris, punter/holder JK Scott and kicker Cameron Dicker have spent three seasons together.