Chargers Send Rookie Branson Taylor to IR, Handing Left Guard Job to Kayode Awosika

The Los Angeles Chargers are already playing musical chairs with their offensive line before the regular season even kicks off. Rookie guard Branson Taylor is heading to injured reserve with a designated-to-return tag, meaning the starting left guard spot is officially Kayode Awosika's to lose.

Ian Rapoport broke the news on Sunday, confirming what head coach Jim Harbaugh had already been hinting at during training camp. Awosika was reportedly pulling ahead in the crowded battle for the starting job, but now he gets the keys to the car by default.

"Ian Rapoport reported the IR move and noted Awosika is in line to start."

Taylor, a massive 6-foot-6, 330-pound rookie drafted in the sixth round out of Pitt, was supposed to be in the mix to replace Zion Johnson, who walked in free agency. Instead, the 24-year-old will be watching from the sidelines for at least the first chunk of the season.

Relying on a rookie sixth-rounder to anchor your interior line is usually a recipe for your franchise quarterback spending Sundays looking through the earhole of his own helmet. Now, Los Angeles pivots fully to Awosika, a 27-year-old journeyman who went undrafted out of Buffalo back in 2021.

The Chargers are coming off a tight 20-18 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and figuring out this offensive line is priority number one if they want to keep Justin Herbert upright. Bettors looking at Los Angeles win totals or early-season props should probably monitor how quickly Awosika gels with veteran center Tyler Biadasz in live action.

Taylor's IR designation means he can return later this year, but Awosika now has a massive runway to lock down the left guard spot permanently. If he holds up in pass protection over the first month, Taylor might just be returning to a backup job.