When your franchise quarterback takes 121 pressures in 11 games (more than any other player in the league), something’s got to give. For Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers, the answer to this problem might have been standing right in front of him. Jamaree Salyer, the 4th-year guard, will have Herbert’s vote of confidence if head coach Jim Harbaugh decides to give him a start.

“If he’s out there, we feel comfortable with him,” Herbert said when asked about the 25-year-old potentially starting for their Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. And in a season where comfort’s been rarer than a clean pocket, that endorsement matters.

Salyer has already lived through the nightmare the Chargers’ O-line is facing this year. Back in 2022, when Rashawn Slater went down with an injury, Salyer didn’t just fill in; he thrived. He posted a 5.6 PFF blocking grade and didn’t allow a single sack in his seven starts. T

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper made the case bluntly:

“Salyer has played the most consistent football of his career at left tackle. The Chargers will lose some athleticism in the run game. But they have to find a player who can hold up more often in pass protection. Salyer is their best option in that regard.”

Since his time in Los Angeles, Salyer has started 17 games in 2022 and 2023, and 4 games in 2024.

There are other options besides Salyer as well. But Austin Deculus and Bobby Hart haven’t been explosive, even when healthy. Recent trade acquisition Trevor Penning has also struggled in expanded roles. With January looking very close from this side of November, the experimentation phase is over, and Salyer seems to be the best fit for the Chargers at this point.

But what hurts the most is that this wasn’t supposed to happen at all. The Chargers built what looked like an elite offensive line at the start of the season. But since then, protection has been one of their biggest nightmares.

The O-line disaster for Justin Herbert & Co.

The first shock came even before the season started. Two-time Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater tore his patellar tendon back in August, weeks after getting a massive extension. But then Joe Alt shifted from right tackle to replace him seamlessly. Problem solved, but only for a while.

Alt went down in Week 9 with a high-ankle sprain, his second of the season, and needed surgery. His season is over, and the dominoes have kept falling. Free-agent signing Mekhi Becton has struggled badly at right guard, and Bobby Hart has dealt with groin and ankle issues. Austin Deculus, another backup option, suffered his own ankle injury in Week 7. All of these injuries and inconsistencies have turned their greatest strength into their biggest liability. And Herbert’s paying the price.

Justin Herbert is on pace for roughly 294 pressures this season. That’s 43 more than Geno Smith took while leading the league last season. The O-line crisis extends beyond just shuffling bodies, though. It’s about Herbert’s long-term health and the season’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread for a 7-4 team.

During Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Herbert took so many hits that he actually needed an evaluation in the medical tent before they sent him back on the field. Jim Harbaugh himself called the situation “very concerning.” You can feel the pocket collapsing before plays even develop every week. Herbert’s being sacked at the highest rate in the league, and something needs to change, fast.

In the face of it all, Jamaree Salyer represents much more than a lineup change. He’s a proven reliability in chaos. A stoic presence who’s earned his quarterback’s confidence when everything else is crumbling. For a team whose season teeters on protecting its franchise cornerstone, that comfort Herbert speaks of might be the difference between January football and an early offseason.

While we wait to see how the Chargers’ O-line shapes up in Week 13, do check out this exclusive Essentially Sports interview with Champ Bailey, diving into his take on the Broncos: