EL SEGUNDO — Odafe Oweh said Wednesday that he knew he might be on the move at some point after the Baltimore Ravens decided against giving him a contract extension during the offseason. He didn’t know it would happen only five games into the season or that he would be dealt to the Chargers.
“Initially, I was shocked,” said Oweh, an outside linebacker who is in the final season of his five-year rookie contract and eligible to become a free agent at the end of this season.
Oweh, 26, learned he had been traded along with a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round selection after leaving the Ravens’ practice facility following a team meeting Tuesday. He was driving home when he got the call.
Hours later, he was on a flight to LAX, arriving past 10 p.m. He said he checked into his hotel, slept until about 6:30 a.m. and was on his way to the Chargers’ practice facility in El Segundo, where he got a locker stall with his last name misspelled and a uniform number that didn’t suit him.
Oweh said he will swap No. 51 for No. 98 before he suits up and plays in the Chargers’ game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He will then be asked to increase the pressure on Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the absence of injured teammate Khalil Mack.
The Chargers’ lack of a productive pass rush since Mack was hurt in their victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 15 has been an issue General Manager Joe Hortiz believed needed addressing sooner than later. Mack is on injured reserve and eligible to play again Oct. 19 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Hortiz huddled with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and then pulled the trigger on the deal. Hortiz worked for more than two decades with the Ravens, so his negotiations with Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta figured to go smoothly.
“It helps our team,” Harbaugh said. “Ultimately, it was Joe’s decision. Joe is the one who makes the trade decisions. He talked to us coaches, Jesse and myself (before the deal was struck). All of the people are in the loop and give our opinions, which we did. We all felt it was best for our team.
“To me, (Oweh) is a lot like Khalil Mack: Direct rusher, has speed, has dip, has the ability to set the edge, has been a very good player, a very productive player right in the prime of his career. So, those things and others (why the Chargers traded for Oweh). (Hortiz) is looking, he’s looking at everybody.”
RUNNING BACK CAROUSEL
The Chargers signed Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton during the offseason with the idea that they could form an effective one-two running back punch and provide a more productive ground game, something they didn’t get with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards during the 2024 season.
At least, not completely, anyway.
Dobbins did gain a career-high 905 yards last season before signing with the Denver Broncos in the offseason. Edwards also was not retained by the Chargers, who liked Harris’ durability over four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the promise Hampton showed at North Carolina.
Harris suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in Week 3 and Hampton injured his ankle in Week 5 and was officially placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. So, the Chargers turned to Plan B, signing Kimani Vidal to the active roster to join Hassan Haskins and adding Nyheim Hines to the practice squad.
Harris gained 61 yards on 51 carries as the Chargers brought him along slowly after he was sidelined for all of training camp because of an eye injury suffered in a July 4 fireworks accident. Hampton had a team leading 314 yards and touchdowns on 66 carries before he was injured.
Vidal has four carries for 18 yards and Haskins has five carries for 13 yards.
“It’s their time to shine,” Harbaugh said of Vidal and Haskins.