The Philadelphia Eagles have lost a whole lot of key defensive starters in free agency. For the first time this offseason, Philadelphia lost a free agent on the other side of the ball.

Mekhi Becton departed Philadelphia after reaching a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced. Per ESPN, the deal is for two years and $20 million. Becton will be part of an offensive line that already has Rashawn Slater at left tackle and Joe Alt at right tackle, and he’s going to hold to play guard. Expected to play right guard, the Chargers should release Trey Pipkins as a good way to keep salary cap space.

Signing a one-year contract last offseason, the Eagles moved Becton to guard, and he became a pressure on the offensive line. Becton allowed three sacks and 22 pressures this season at guard (5.2% pressure allowed in line with dropback). He allowed 3 sacks and 8 pressures in the playoffs (7.2% stress rate allowed in keeping with dropback).

The Eagles braced for a capability departure of Becton, as they traded for former first-round pick Kenyon Green in a deal that sent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. Philadelphia sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Houston in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick in the deal.

Green and Tyler Steen will compete for the right guard spot with Becton’s departure. Green allowed 5 sacks and 28 pressures in 329 pass-blocking snaps last season (8.5% pressure rate allowed in line with dropback), but can be below the tutelage of Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland—who turned crucial in Becton’s resurgence.

The Eagles have lost just one starter on offense on their Super Bowl championship team (Becton). They lost four on protection and six overall games on that side of the ball, as the Super Bowl champions are going via a slight tinkering of the roster this offseason.