Chargers and right tackle Trey Pipkins III agree to terms

On the day the Chargers granted running back Austin Ekeler permission to pursue trade options, the team and right tackle Trey Pipkins III agreed to terms Tuesday on a new three-year contract that could solidify their protection of standout quarterback Justin Herbert for years to come.

The agreement also kept Pipkins from hitting the open market when free agency begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Pipkins, entering his fifth season in the NFL after the Chargers picked him in the third round of the 2019 draft, was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

Pipkins won a training camp battle with Storm Norton for the starting job at right tackle and started 14 of 17 regular-season games this past season, sitting out three games because of a sprained knee. He started a combined 10 games in his first three seasons with the Chargers.

Retaining him means the Chargers won’t have to give their offensive line a dramatic makeover for the upcoming season, maintaining the status quo in front of Herbert, who was the NFL’s second-leading passer last season with 4,739 yards – second to only Patrick Mahomes’ total of 5,250 yards.

The Chargers could have moved Jamaree Salyer into Pipkins’ spot had Pipkins signed elsewhere. Instead, the Chargers are likely to begin training camp with Rashawn Slater at left tackle, Salyer at left guard, Corey Linsley at center, Zion Johnson at right guard and Pipkins at right tackle.

Left guard Matt Feiler reportedly was released by the Chargers on Tuesday, creating a salary-cap savings of $6.5 million, according to the website overthecap.com.

Restructuring the contracts of edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams enabled Chargers general manager Tom Telesco to re-sign Pipkins to a three-year deal worth $7.25 million per season, according to an NFL source.

The Chargers went from being about $20 million over the salary cap entering this past weekend to being a little less than $20 million under it with the four restructured contracts, according to figures compiled Tuesday by overthecap.com. Their free-agent budget remains somewhat limited, however.

In addition to agreeing with Pipkins on a new contract Tuesday, the Chargers also signed free-agent linebacker Eric Kendricks, who spent eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after a stellar collegiate career at UCLA that included winning the Butkus Award in 2014.

The addition of Kendricks offsets the expected departure of linebacker Drue Tranquill via free agency. Tranquill was the Chargers’ leading tackler during the 2022 season, but contract talks reportedly stalled and he is expected to sign elsewhere after the signing period officially begins Wednesday.

It remains to be determined whether Chargers coach Brandon Staley can make good on his plans to improve their running game in the upcoming season. The offensive line will be unchanged for the 2023 season, but the possible loss of Ekeler through a trade could prove difficult to overcome.

Ekeler, the NFL’s leader with 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons, is entering the final season of a four-year, $24.5-million contract extension and will earn $6.25 million for the upcoming season. Negotiations on a contract extension beyond 2023 failed to bear fruit, however.

The 27-year-old Ekeler asked for permission Monday to seek a trade and the Chargers granted it Tuesday. He has spent all six years of his NFL career with the Chargers, who signed him as an undrafted free agent from Western State Colorado in 2017. He became a starter in 2019.

His totals of 915 yards rushing and 722 yards receiving on a team-leading 107 catches, plus a league-leading 18 touchdowns, this past season would be difficult to replace should he be traded. Only five running backs in league history have caught 100 or more passes in a single season.

The Chargers could find his replacement via next month’s NFL draft. They have the 21st overall pick, and could use it on a standout collegiate running back. At present, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller and Larry Rountree III are the only running backs on the Chargers’ roster beyond Ekeler.

None of the three stood out as backups for the productive and versatile Ekeler this past season.

Meanwhile, the Chargers will weigh offers for Ekeler’s services.