Tyler Biadasz was carted off after Tuesday's practice and could not put weight on his leg, leaving the Chargers bracing for a potentially lengthy loss at center.
Jake Slaughter, a second-round rookie drafted to play left guard, is the natural replacement at center, but moving him there would create another hole across the interior line.
Five free-agent options have emerged as possible depth fixes: James Daniels and Graham Glasgow offer center-guard versatility, while Kevin Zeitler, Liam Eichenberg and Will Hernandez are guard-focused alternatives.
Each candidate carries tradeoffs—mostly injury history, age or schematic fit—underscoring how thin the Chargers remain after an offensive line group was already hit hard by injuries last season.