The Los Angeles Chargers had a terrific season marred by a devastating postseason defeat. After making their second playoff appearance with Justin Herbert and new head coach Jim Harbaugh at the helm, LA was dominated by the Houston Texans, losing 32-12.
Herbert himself had the worst game of his career, and a below-average Chargers offense paid the price heavily. However, one prominent free agent signing might give the team new life, according to the latest offseason predictions.
Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert Get Best Available Free Agent
Throughout the year, Harbaugh maintained a dedicated ground game, trying to diversify the Chargers’ offense. It led to one of the worst seasons of Herbert’s career, as he finished 14th on PFN’s QB+ metric.
However, the situation got way worse in the playoffs. Without a true threat beyond rookie Ladd McConkey, the offense sputtered, and Herbert coughed up four interceptions en route to a career-worst passer rating of 40.9.
But, according to Yardbarker, that could come to a change. On their list of predictions for this offseason, one of the key names coming to Los Angeles is the best available free agent as ranked by PFSN, Tee Higgins.
As PFSN Analyst Ben Rolfe noted in PFSN’s Top 100 Free Agents in 2025, Higgins has put together a very solid body of work since he entered the NFL in 2020. Over the last five years, he has 4,595 receiving yards, which ranks 18th in that time. While his 65.6 yards per game only rank 26th, he has played four of those seasons effectively as the No. 2 option to Ja’Marr Chase.
Over the course of his time in the NFL, Higgins ranks 10th at the position in success rate (59.8%) and 13th at the position in terms of touchdowns. The 2024 season was Higgins’ best in terms of touchdowns (10), despite only playing in 12 games. His drop rate this season was also a career-low at 2.8%, while Joe Burrow had a 119.5 passer rating when targeting him.
The biggest Achilles heel for Higgins right now is his health. He has missed a total of 10 games over the past two seasons and has not played a full season since his rookie year. Additionally, there were reports that he was playing through an injury down the stretch in order to try and help the Bengals make the playoffs.
That toughness will certainly be respected, but it also raises concerns. Having played just 24 out of 34 games in the last two years, plus the contests when he played hurt, there are some serious durability questions that teams must consider before making a lucrative offer.
Last season, Higgins finished the year with 911 yards and 10 touchdowns despite appearing in just 12 games as the designated WR2 for the Cincinnati Bengals. With an expanded role in Los Angeles, those numbers could explode.
Nonetheless, the question for Higgins is his injury history. As PFSN, while ranking him as the best free agent of the offseason, accurately stated, “The biggest Achilles heel for Higgins right now is his health. He has missed a total of 10 games over the past two seasons and has not played a full season since his rookie year.”
Even the 12 games he played this season had reports of the star playmaker slugging it out despite injuries. That determination might be respected, but it might not be the best course of action for a team that needs consistency.
However, when on the field, he is nothing short of electric. Despite playing second fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins has 4,595 receiving yards in the last five seasons.
As a result, his asking price might vary from team to team, depending on their level of desperation. While the Chargers could certainly make a run for him, paying him top-of-the-market value might not be in their best interests.