Chargers must overcome another early blow to O-line in pursuit of 1st playoff win under Jim Harbaugh

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6)

The Chargers are coming off back-to-back 11 win years, but they're under pressure to translate regular-season success into a playoff run. Coach Jim Harbaugh, in his third season, and quarterback Justin Herbert, in his sixth, are still seeking that elusive first victory. Dare they dream to be playing in Super Bowl LXI at their SoFi Stadium home? The health of the offensive line will be paramount, just as it has been in recent years. They've already lost veteran center Tyler Biadasz to a season-ending knee injury after using $30 million of their significant cap space to sign him from the Washington Commanders. Getting Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back healthy is huge for the O-line.

OC Mike McDaniel, DC Chris O'Leary, Biadasz, CB Donte Jackson, C Jake Slaughter, OL Akheem Mesidor, TE David Njoku, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, RB Keaton Mitchell, G Cole Strange, G Kayode Awosika, TE Charlie Kolar, FB Alec Ingold, C Jacob Spomer.

OLB Odafe Oweh, WR Keenan Allen, RB Najee Harris, C Bradley Bozeman, G Mekhi Becton, DE Da'Shawn Hand, G Zion Johnson, CB Benjamin St-Juste.

McDaniel, the former Miami Dolphins coach, has the talent to revamp a struggling running game and better protect Herbert, who endured a league-high in total pressures last season. Herbert led the league's only offensive unit that had four players each with 40 receptions, 600 yards receiving and three TD catches last year. The offense gets an immediate boost with the return of a healthy RB Omarion Hampton and Alt, who missed a combined 19 games last season. Coach Chris O’Leary takes over one of the league’s top defenses and although he has just one year of NFL experience, there should be little tinkering given he’s a pupil of former DC Jesse Minter. The defensive line is led by Teair Tart, who's coming off a breakout season, and expectations are high for Tomlinson, who started all 17 games for Arizona last season.

The offensive line was dealt a major blow when Biadasz got hurt during a joint camp practice with the San Francisco 49ers. The newcomer was expected to fill a huge hole. Now, it'll be up to rookie Slaughter, who played center at Florida before the Chargers initially had him at guard during camp. It's the second straight season the O-line took an early hit; last year, Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Alt fell to season-ending injuries. The pass rush lost Oweh, who left as a free agent, and 35-year-old Khalil Mack is fighting Father Time in his 13th season. C Cam Hart is looking for a revival after a second-season slump.

LB Tuli Tuipulotu sat out of team drills as training camp began due to contract negotiations for an extension before returning to practice. He said he'll play the season without a new deal. The defense looked fast and physical under O'Leary, who sometimes had to dial back the aggressive intensity to keep everyone healthy. Slaughter's move to center created a gap at left tackle, and Awosika moved into the leading candidate for the job.

Hampton will be the starting running back heading into the opener and he'll be looking for a breakout season under McDaniel. With a team built to run the ball, Hampton is poised to post big numbers while juggling a heavy workload. His rookie season was interrupted by ankle injuries that limited him to 10 games. Still, the 6-foot, 220-pounder flashed his potential with five touchdowns in 156 touches and gained 737 yards from scrimmage.

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Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh complains about a call during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Los Angeles Rams Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Katie Chin)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throws a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Los Angeles Rams Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Katie Chin)

BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese man who had been held prisoner in Israel was released Thursday, the first such handover since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war six months ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross and two Lebanese security officials said.

The man, identified as Malek Ghazi, was handed over to the Lebanese army via the ICRC, one of the Lebanese security officials said. The other official said they were anticipating the release of another prisoner. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Ghazi was handed over to the ICRC at the border crossing in the coastal town of Naqoura on Lebanon's southern frontier and was then transferred to a Lebanese army intelligence office in the city of Tyre.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dozens of Lebanese prisoners are believed to be held in Israeli detention centers, including civilians as well as Hezbollah militants captured during fighting in southern Lebanon. The circumstances of Ghazi’s capture were not immediately clear, but one of the Lebanese officials said he was a civilian.

The prisoner release came as talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials had appeared to reach an impasse. Lebanon and Israel in June signed a U.S.-mediated framework deal under which Israeli forces were to withdraw from areas they are occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for disarmament of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, but little progress has been made in implementation on the ground.

Another round of talks is expected to take place in Rome later this month.

Hezbollah is not a party to the Lebanon-Israel talks and has said it will not give up its weapons in any area north of southern Lebanon's Litani river. Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they will not withdraw unless Hezbollah is disarmed throughout the country.

The Lebanese state has been reluctant to attempt to forcibly disarm the militant group, which is also a political party and social services provider with a large popular base in the country's Shiite Muslim community.

Lebanon fought a brutal civil war from 1975 to 1990, and many fear that any clash between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah could spiral into another devastating civil conflict.

Hezbollah and Israel have fought a series of wars since the militant group was founded with Iranian support in the 1980s to combat Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon at the time. Their latest war began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired missiles over the border, two days after the U.S. and Iran attacked Iran.

Smoke and flames rise as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

An Israeli tank takes a position in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Smoke rises as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)