Yes, Penning is slated to be a free agent after the 2025 season, but the Bolts only gave up a late-round selection for a draft that is 18 months from now.
The Chargers currently only have five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Hortiz did a superb job of holding onto those while still adding to a position group that needed another body.
At 6-3, the Chargers are firmly in the AFC playoff picture as the second Wild Card team and are only one game back of the Broncos in the race for the AFC West.
Is the Alt injury a bummer? Of course.
But read what Harbaugh said Monday at his press conference about his team’s mindset going forward.
“I think like anything in sports, it’s adversity,” Harbaugh said. “You just do the best you can and you get better. Never give up. Those three key elements.
“Maybe a lesser team, lesser man wouldn’t find a way to do that, but that’s what we do,” Harbaugh added.
This team still has Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Oronde Gadsden on offense, with rookie Omarion Hampton set to likely return after the bye week.
Defensively, Khalil Mack, Derwin James, Jr. and Daiyan Henley aren’t going to lay down because of a few injuries on the other side of the ball.
The Bolts have real playoff aspirations in 2025, and the addition of Penning shows they are ready to make a run and see what happens the rest of this season.
As for the Taylor trade, the 2022 sixth-round pick played in 57 games in his Chargers career but was scheduled to be a free agent after this season.
While Taylor was a valuable player on special teams, the emergence of youngsters Nikko Reed and Eric Rogers in training camp and the preseason — plus a healthy Deane Leonard — means Hortiz felt like the best option was to move Taylor for a future late-round asset.
Reed played 14 snaps against the Titans in Week 9 and was the Bolts flashiest players in camp. Rogers, who is currently on Injured Reserve, was a preseason star with multiple interceptions.
And with Leonard returning to practice last week, expect him to take over Taylor’s role at gunner on punt coverage.
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