NFL Rumors: Latest on Chargers' Keenan Allen, Khalil Mack, Mike Williams, Joey Bosa

The Los Angeles Chargers brought in a headline name this offseason by hiring head coach Jim Harbaugh, but there are still plenty of questions about some of their star players ahead of the 2024 campaign.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained that defensive ends Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams combine to account for more than half of the Chargers' salary cap as currently constructed.

While Fowler said it would be "shocking" if Los Angeles released them all to save $80.8 million in cap space, he also pointed out "all four returning in their current contractual state would be a surprise, too."

Here were Fowler's predictions and evaluations for all of them:

• "Optimistic" Allen returns, perhaps with a reworked or new deal
• Other teams are interested in Mack as a trade candidate
• "Anything is possible with Bosa, who's a premier player but hasn't stayed healthy"
  
• Williams may be outright released coming off an ACL tear

That is serious star power that may or may not be available for other teams this offseason, and the Chargers' inability to keep them all healthy around quarterback Justin Herbert is a major reason they haven't won a playoff game since the 2018 campaign.

They were an ugly 5-12 in 2023 and may lose another star outside of those names with running back Austin Ekeler scheduled for free agency.

Los Angeles may be largely unrecognizable in terms of high-profile players on the roster depending on how this offseason plays out, but changes also need to be made. Not only has it fallen short in the AFC West of late, it isn't as well positioned to make future moves given the current status of the salary cap.

Perhaps that means restructured deals for some of the team's most notable names. Perhaps that means trading someone like Mack and getting draft capital back in return to accelerate a quick rebuild in Harbaugh's image.

But something needs to be done if they are ever going to catch Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.