When you look at the body of work that Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz did in his first year, you see plenty of bargain-bin signings and impressive draft steals. Some of his best moves are drafting Tarheeb Still, signing the reclamation project, JK Dobbins and drafting Ladd McConkey. However, the most underrated signing of the year for Los Angeles has to be former Seahawks and Bills defensive tackle, Poona Ford.
Chargers Must Re-Sign Impending Veteran Free Agent
How Did Poona Ford Become So Underrated?
In a previous article discussing Poona Ford, I discussed his story and how he eventually landed with the Chargers. To summarize, Ford came out of Texas as a large, yet undersized player for nose tackle. This led scouts to be wary of drafting him, and he eventually was an undrafted free agent who landed with the Seattle Seahawks.
At 5’11, his chances of making the roster were slim. For reference, in 2024 Poona Ford is the shortest defensive tackle in the NFL. He beat all odds and eventually even became a key starter for the Seattle defensive line. After five successful seasons with the Seahawks, he went to the Buffalo Bills to play the same role in a Sean McDermott-led defense.
Poona Ford is so ridiculously quick. Destroys this run with ease. #Seahawkspic.twitter.com/94cQmp3nNs
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) October 4, 2019
Ford ended up being a healthy scratch for most of the season, for circumstances that are still yet to be known. This allowed the Chargers to swoop in a year after his signing with the Bills and take him to Los Angeles. With a chip on his shoulder, Ford broke out under defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter.
The Elite 2024 Season From the Surprise Breakout Star
The Chargers free agent signee was given the inside track to start at defensive tackle for a weak room. Ford was expected to be a solid, average-at-best starter in 2024, but he made sure everyone was wrong about him… once again.
Poona Ford sniffing out a screen and playing through the hands of the RB???!!! Seriously, what a debut from the big fella! pic.twitter.com/bdK2rOmgM5
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) September 10, 2024
The 2023 Chargers free agent signee completely took this defensive tackle room from one of the worst on paper, to at least league average completely by himself. His 2024 season is arguably the best Chargers defensive tackle season since… 2016 Brandon Mebane? 2008 Jamal Williams?
Ford’s 2024 Statistics:
- 604 Snaps
- 85.1 PFF Defensive Grade (5th/219th)
- 71.1 PFF Pass Rush Grade (32nd/219th)
- 78.8 PFF Run Defense Grade (7th/219th)
- 23 Pressures
- 3 Sacks
- 7 Hits
- 13 Hurries
- 3 Batted Balls
- 22 Tackles
- 21 Stops
How Much Would It Cost To Re-Sign The Underrated Defensive Tackle?
Bursting back onto the scene in Los Angeles, Poona Ford showed the man who gave him a second chance, Hortiz, a reason for him to come back in Powder Blues for 2025. This time around, he will be earning money relative to his play.
Poona Ford is a freak. Bring him back next year! pic.twitter.com/EmlQwsQbR6
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) November 12, 2024
When predicting contracts it’s important to note that every year every position gets a slight raise, due to the salary cap increasing. So when looking at these previous defensive tackle contracts, expecting Ford to get more is a real possibility. Here are low, predicted, and high contract comparisons to give Ford a market.
Low-End Contract Prediction: Justin Jones’ 2024 Deal – 10.055M APY
Chargers fans should be familiar with Justin Jones, who was drafted by the team in the third round in 2018. As a solid interior defensive lineman, he eventually went to the Chicago Bears where he had two more solid starting seasons. Before the 2024 season, during free agency, Jones signed a three-year, 30.165 Million dollar contract.
Jones’ 2023 season which led to his signing definitely did not show up well in the PFF grading system, but on 740 snaps, he had strong pressure and sack numbers coupled with solid numbers in the run defense game.
The argument can be made that the 2024 season from Poona Ford is a better player than 2023 Jones, but the numbers are comparable and Jones was two years younger at the time of singing than Ford will be looking for his next contract. If the Chargers were to start contract negotiations with Ford, using Jones’ 2024 deal is a good start.
Middle Contract Prediction: Grover Stewart’s 2024 Deal – 13M APY
Grover Stewart re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts before the 2024 season. He signed for 3 years, 39 million at the age of 30. This contract is very comparable to what Ford could get in this coming off-season, as this contract was only signed last year, Stewart’s age is close with Ford’s and the play on the field is comparable.
Stewart’s 2023 season had him play fewer snaps than Ford’s 2024 season, but Stewart still was a strong run-stopper who showed some pass-rush ability. Statistically, Stewart’s 2023 season was worse off as a pass rusher, but had an edge on Ford’s run-stopping ability.
Overall, if I were a betting man, this is the deal I would estimate to be done with Ford. Age, production and timing all closely align.
High-End Contract Prediction: Ed Oliver’s 2023 Deal – 17M APY
Ed Oliver signed a 4-year extension with the Buffalo Bills on June 5, 2023, worth $68 million. This is 17 million a year. It is important to keep in mind that Oliver is a former first-round selection from the Buffalo Bills, which does play a part in contract negotiations. Furthermore, at the time of signing, Oliver was 25, four years younger than Ford currently.
The age and draft pedigree played a major role in Oliver’s contract, as in his 2022 season (the year before he was signed) he statistically was a better pass rusher than Ford’s 2024 season, but much worse in run defense. Pass rushers get paid more.
The case for Ford to get said money is because of his run defense pedigree, the salary cap growth since the Oliver deal and the general market for defensive tackles going up.
Last Word on Poona Ford
All in all, Ford is going to get paid by someone. As Chargers fans, we hope that Hortiz makes the right decision and keeps their defensive anchor around for at least another season. Especially since 2025 is lining up to be the season where the Chargers are going to want to make their Super Bowl run.
The question is: How much does the impending Chargers free agent get paid going into his age 30 season?
Main Image: Gary A. Vasquez – USA Today Sports
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